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THE
MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY
By EDWARD CH ARLESWORTH, F.G.S
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR
LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS,
PATERNOSTER ROW.
1840.
CONTENTS.
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS,
With References to the Subjects of their respective Communications,
Page
Adams, Arthur, Esq.
On the Variation of Colour in Wild Plants 325
Bellingham, O'Bryen, M.D., &c., &c.
Description of a Specimen of the Orthogoriscus mola (Sun-Fish),
caught off the Irish Coast in June, 1839, and preserved in
the Museum of the Natural History Society of Dublin. ... 235
Catalogue of the Entozoa indigenous to Ireland 343
Birch, Samuel, Esq.
On the Monkeys known to the Chinese, from the Native Au-
thorities. (Continued from vol. iii. p. 592.) 35
Bladon, Mr. J. B.
Remarks on the Theory of Spontaneous Generation 280, 339
Bladon, James.
Singular mode of extrication of the Imago from the Pupa-case
in a species of Crane-fly 101
Occurrence of the Argynnis Aphrodite in Britain 306
j^ Blyth, Edward, Esq.
^ Notice of some additional species of the genus Equtis to those
i^ currently admitted by Zoologists. ., 81
Bowerbank, James S., Esq., F.G.S.
On the London Clay Formation at Bracklesham Bay, Sussex. 23
On the mode of procuring the London Clay Fossils at the Isle
of Sheppey 205
Bree, The Rev. W. T., M.A.
Notice of the capture of Argynnis Aphrodite in'Warwickshire. 131
Notice of a remarkable variety of Vanessa Urticce taken at
Coventry 368
Bright, John.
Habits of the Toad, its change of skin, &c 103
Bromhead, Sir Edward Ff., Bt., F.R.S., Lond. and Ediub.
Remarks on the Botanical System of Professor Perleb 329
iv CONTENTS.
Page
Brown, John, Esq., F.G.S.
Notice of a Fluvio-marine Deposit containing Mammalian
Remains, at Little Clacton, on the Essex coast 197
Charlesworth, Edward, F.G.S. , &c.
On the Siliceous Casts of the Echinites from the Chalk 38
Clarke, William Barnard, M.D., F.B.S. Ed.
On the Habits of the Water-Shrew 149
Sketch of the Flora of the neighbourhood of Ipswich ; inclu-
ding the Phsenogamic Plants, the Filices, and Equisetacese. 124, 317
Cooper, Daniel.
Notice of the occurrence of the Alyssum Calydnum, near
London 104
Couch, Jonathan, Esq., F.L.S.
Remarks on some species of -^5^ma« found in Cornwall. ... 32
Denny, Henry.
Announcement of his work on the Anopleura, &c 249
Dickson, Joseph, Esq.
Notice of a few rare Plants, collected during 1839, in Jersey. 226
DoMBRAiN, Henry H.
On the establishment of a Natural History Society at DubUn. 247
Doubleday, Edward, Esq.
Remarks on the Lepidoptera of North America, with occasional
descriptions of New Species 213, 268
Eyton, T. C, Esq., F.L.S., &c.
Remark on the Skeleton of the common tame Goose, the
Chinese Goose, and the Hybrid between the two 90
Fitch, Robert, Esq., F.G.S.
Notice of the existence of a distinct Tube within the hollows
of the Paramoudra 303
Hogg, John, M.A., F.R.S., L.S., C.P.S., &c.
On the Action of Light upon the Colour of the River Sponge. 259
Hope, The Rev. F. W., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c.
Remarks on the Species of Cicindela and Elaphrus, mentioned
in Olivier 169
Jenkins, Thomas, Esq.
Observations on the Young of the Salmon, more particularly
on the Samlet, or small Fish found in the Wye and other
Rivers, in the autumn months, called, in Herefordshire,
*' Lasprings, or Gravel- Lasprings." I6l
Lee, John Edward, Esq.
On a new species of Siphonia from the Yorkshire Chalk 46
Remarks on the Teeth of Reptiles, from the Tilgate Grit of
Battle and St. Leonard's 87
CONTENTS. V
Page
McLauchlan, Henry, F.G.S.
Notice of the capture of a Hoopoe at Fishguard, Pembroke.. . . 250
Morris, John, Esq.
A Systematic Catalogue of the Fossil Plants of Great Britain.
(Continued from vol. iii. p. 548.) 75, 179
Nangle, Edward.
On some observations in Mr. Newsman's ' Notes on Irish Na-
tural History,'&c 247
Newman, Edward, Esq., F.L.S., &c.
Notes on Irish Natural History, more especially Ferns
16, 64, 112, 173
Notice of the capture of Calosoma sycophanta, at Brighton,
Ramsgate, and Hastings 150
Description of a few Longicorns, MS. names of which are
published in the Sale-Catalogue of Mr. Children's Insects. 194
A few Notes on British Ferns 241
Descriptions of eight new Cryptocephali, captured near St.
John's Bluif, East Florida, by E. Doubleday, Esq 249
Descriptions of some new species of Coleopterous Insects. ... 362
Prestwich, Joseph, Jun., Esq., F.G.S. , &c.
On the occurrence of Mammalian Remains in the Lower
Eocene deposits of Epernay, Marne 187
Prideaux, Charles.
On the occurrence of the Little Bustard in Devonshire 47
Rylands, Peter, Esq.
Notes on Telephori 133
SowERBY, James De C.
Upon the ^s^rea from Bracklesham Bay 27
SowERBY, Mr. G. B., jun.
Descriptions of some new Chitons 287
Strickland, H. E., Esq., F.G.S.
Observations upon the Affinities and Analogies of Organized
Beings 219
On a Fossil Dragon-fly in the Lias at Warwickshire 301
Sweeting, R. H., Esq.
Dimensions and description of a supposed new species of Ba-
IcBnoptera, stranded on Charmouth Beach, Feb. 5, 1840.... 341
Thompson, William, Esq.
On a new Genus of Fishes from India 184
Thompson, Robert, Esq.
On the fall of a Meteorolite at the Cape of Good Hope 201
Waterhouse, G. R., Esq.
Description of a new Marsupial Mammal, belonging to the
genus Phascogale 299
VI CONTENTS.
Page
Waterhouse, G. R., Esq.
Descriptions of some new species of Carabideous Insects, from
the collection made by C. Darwin, Esq., in the southern
parts of South America 354
Weissenborn, W., Ph. D.
On the Flora of Snow Formations, in reference to the Theory
of Spontaneous Generation 28
Westwood, J. O., Esq., F.L.S., &c.
Observations upon the relationships existing amongst Natural
Objects, resulting from more or less perfect resemblance,
usually termed Affinity and Analogy 141
A few further Observations on Affinity and Analogy 305
Wilcox, Mr. W.
Notice of the Occurrence of a living Specimen of the Testudo
Caretta on the Coast of Devonshire 136
Wood, S. V., Esq., F.G.S.
On the Fossil Shells of the Crag 230, 294
Young, John, Esq.
Notice relating to the recent Landslip on the Devonshire
Coast 138
EXTRACTS.
D'Orbigny, M. Alcide.
On a recent species of Crinoidea or Encrinites, constituting
the type of anew Genus; — Holopus 352
RUPPELL, M.
Habits of the different species of Sterna and Larus 47
Town, Joseph.
On the development of Birds in ovo 43
TRANSLATIONS.
Lund, Dr.
View of the Fauna of Brazil, previous to the last Geological
Revolution 1, 49, 105, 154, 207, 251, 307
Rang, M.
On the Genus Argonauta..., 8, 57
CONTENTS. VU
REVIEWS.
Page
Beechey, Capt. R. N.
Notice of the appearance of the ' Zoology of Beechey's
Voyage/ 145
Curtis, John, F.L.S., &c.
British Entomology : or Illustrations and Descriptions of the
Genera of Insects found in Great Britain and Ireland 96
Erichson, G. F.
Genera et Species Staphylinorum ; Pars prior 98
Guerin-Meneville, F. E.
Revue Zoologique. Par la Society Cuvierienne ; public sous
la direction de M. F. E. Guerin-Meneville 97
KoLLAR, Vincent.
A Treatise on the Insects injurious to Gardeners, Foresters,
and Farmers «... 95
Laporte de Castelnau, Lucas, et Blanchard.
Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articules 97
Newman, Edward, F.L.S.
A History of the British Ferns 98
Stephens, James Francis, F.L.S.
A Manual of British Coleoptera or Beetles 92
Westwood, J. O., F.L.S., &c.
An Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects 98
IJST of the SUPPLEMENTvVRY PLATES, with references to the de-
scriptive Letter-press in the body of the Magazine.
PLATE X.
Two views of a specimen of Argynnis Aphrodite, taken at Ufton Wood, *
near Leamington, in the summer of 1838, by JamesWalhouse,Esq. Page 131 .
PLATE XL
The figures illustrate a paper, shortly to appear, by John Morris, Esq., '
on the Vernation of the genera of Cycadece.
PLATE XIL
One of the Plates from Mr. Bowerbank's work on the Fossil Fruits and
Seeds of the Isle of Sheppey. The figures relate to three genera proposed
by Mr. Bowerbank, namely, Hightea, Petrophilioides, and Cupressinites.
PLATES Xin. and XIV.
Fossil Shells from the Crag, described by Mr. S. V. Wood. Pages 294 '
and 230.
PLATE XV.
Variety of Vanessa Urticce, described by the Rev. W. T. Bree. Page 368.
PLATE XVL
New Species of Chiton, described by Mr. G. B. Sowerby, jun. Page 287.
PLATE XVIL
Holopus Rangii, a new genus of existing Crinoidea. Page 352.
Fig. 1. Holopus Rangii in its natural position, having the arms
contracted and applied closely together.
Fig. 2. Longitudinal section of the Holopus, showing the deep
groove (a) which is prolonged throughout the whole length of the
arms ; (6) vestibule between the arms and the mouth ; (c) interior of
the foot with its large cavity, which no doubt contained the viscera.
Fig. 3. A profile view of one of the arms, having the internal ra-
mules somewhat contracted.
Fig. 4. One of the ramules magnified.
Fig. 5. Part of one of the ramules, showing its articular portion.
Fig. 6. One of the pieces of which the arms are composed, on which
the anterior convexity (a) is observable ; (b) the internal cavity or
longitudinal groove ; (e) the part by which it is articulated to an ad-
joining portion.
PLATE XVIIL
British Limaces described by Mr. Nunnelley, in the Transactions of the
Philosophical Society of Leeds, vol. i. part L
Fig. 1. Cochlea agresiis. Fig. 3. Limax variegatus.
Fig. 2. nuda. Fig. 4. agrestis,
PLATE XIX.
Two new Carabideous Insects from the collection made by C. Darwin,
Esq., in South America. Page 354.
Fig. 1. Odontoscelis Darwinii.
Fig. 2. Cardeophthalmus longitarsis, slightly magnified.
(a) Labrum and mandibles. (d) Fore leg.
(b) Mentum and labial palpi. (e) Fore part of anterior fiJia.
(c) Maxilla and maxillary palpi.
THE MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
JANUARY, 1840.
Art. I. — View of the Fauna of Brazil, previous to the last Geolo-
gical Revolution.^ By Dr. Lund.*
Dr. Lund commences his account by explaining the circum-
stances under which the fossil remains he is about to describe
are found. " They are all found, " he says, " in the caves
which occur in the calcareous rocks that traverse, in various
directions the interior Highlands of Brazil. A mountain
chain composed of this rock diverges from the principal chain
of the central plateau (Serra do Espinha^o) in the neighbour-
hood of the capital of the Province Minas, and extends to-
wards the north west, dividing the waters of the rivers Rio
das Velhas and Paraopeba. It is this chain which has hi-
therto formed the richest field of my researches ; and indeed
it is to the caves on its eastern declivity that I am indebted for
all the relics of the inhabitants of a former world which I yet
possess. Its western side presents fewer caves, and I have
not been so fortunate as to find any trace of animal remains
in them, any more than in the numerous caverns contained in
the other small limestone chains connected \^dth the above
principal range.
The rock of which these chains is composed is a dark grey,
fine-grained, crystalline, transition limestone, disposed in ho-
rizontal strata, which not unfrequently exhibit a very gentle
1 This is a nearly literal translation of Dr. Lund's own title, but it is by
no means descriptive of this first paper, at least, which is merely introduc-
tory, and might be better entitled, — "An Account of the Limestone Caves
in the Interior Highlands of Brazil ; with a description of the Mammalia
now occurring in that district." His second paper is entitled — "A Survey
or Sketch of the extinct species of Mammalia which inhabited the High-
lands of Tropical Brazil, previously to the last Geological Revolution." —
Translator.
2 In a communication addressed to the Society of Sciences at Copenha-
gen, and printed there in 1838. Translated from the Danish, and com-
municated to the Mag. Nat, Hist., by the Rev. W. Bilton.
Vol. IV.— No. 37, n. s. b
2 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
dip to the east. It rests upon a vast mass of talc slate, which
dips at an angle of 90° to the east, and forms the outermost
member in connection with the higher central range : and
farther from this principal chain, it alternates w^ith beds of
siliceous and clay slates. It often contains veins of quartz,
but I have never yet found in it any trace either of metals or
of organic remains. These limestone hills form smooth,
rounded ranges, which, however, have often a wild and pic-
turesque character, from the extraordinary disruption of their
masses, and the projection of their bare and steep walls of
rock. They are also clothed with a peculiar vegetation ; and
among the isolated outliers of this same formation, are nu-
merous lakes. Another physical phenomenon peculiar to the
limestone district, is the sudden disappearance of rivers (Su-
midouro), which again emerge at greater or less distances. —
This phenomenon arises from the number of fissures by which
the limestone is traversed, both above and below the surface.
Of the form of these fissures no universal description can be
given. Sometimes they appear as perpendicular clefts, run-
fiing in one direction ; sometimes they are intersected by a
number of transverse fissures; sometimes they run in zigzags ;
but often expand into passages, chambers, halls, and other
similar forms, in which breadth predominates. It is more
particularly this latter form of which I think it necessary to
give a more detailed description.
The first thing that strikes the observer in these caves, is
the rounded form presented by them. The roof is arched,
and passes into the side walls by a regular curve. The floor
can seldom be seen ; but when visible, it exhibits the same
mode of junction with the sides ; and it is impossible to avoid
remarking, that all the angles which project at the different
divisions or bends of the passages, are in like manner rounded
oif. If we examine the walls and roof more carefully, we
perceive that the surface of the rock is full of protuberances
and hollows, blending into each other with the gentlest curv^e.
But especially do we observ^e numerous round holes, of all
sizes, both in the sides and roof, which penetrate more or less
deeply into the rock, and are closed at the bottom. Fre-
quently, where the walls project beyond the regular line, these
holes penetrate from one side to the other, and thus form pas-
sages, usually narrow, but sometimes large enough to admit
of our creeping through them, and presenting, on a smaller
scale,, the same phenomena already described in speaking of
the principal passages.
The surface of the stone is moreover smooth, often to such
a degree as to reflect light : which circumstance, combined
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 3
with the rounded forms assumed, frequently gives the rocky
masses the appearance of bronze statues.
The number of caves already visited by me in Brazil,
amounts to eighty-eight, to the whole of which the charac-
ters here described are more or less applicable ; and these
characters are such as, in my opinion, leave no doubt as to
the mode of formation of the caves. In traversing them, one
appears to be walking by the rock-bound shore of ocean, and
to see its naked cliffs as they are hollowed and smoothed by
the waves. And doubtless, such is their origin ; doubtless,
we must assign the formation of these caverns to those peri-
ods when either this whole tract, that is now dry land, was
covered with vast lakes ; or when it yet rested in the bosom
of the sea. At any rate, it is certain that the filtration of wa-
ter through the limestone, is quite insufficient to explain the
phenomena we have been describing, and particularly the
deep yet blind holes gnawed into the roof
All these caves are more or less filled with soil, which I
will take the liberty of describing, by giving a short account
of the newest formation that covers the surface in this part of
Brazil : it is exactly the same as that which is found inside
the caverns.
The plains, the valleys, and the lower hills are, without
exception, overspread by a vast layer of loose soil, from which
the higher ranges alone are free. This stratum, with a cer-
tain degree of uniformity combines no inconsiderable variety,
which is partly shown in its subordinate beds, and partly in
the occasional appearance of these beds, without any such
sequence, by the side of each other. The most common form
assumed by these formations, is that of a stratum of coarse,
red clay, from ten to thirty or more feet in thickness, in which
there is no trace of stratification or other divisions. Occa-
sionally we may follow this clay -bed over considerable tracts,
without observing any remarkable extraneous substance ; but
it usually contains, in a greater or less quantity, rolled stones
of quartz, from the size of a pigeon's egg to that of a man's
head. These boulders are sometimes strewed about without
order ; sometimes they form more or less regular beds. In-
termixed with these rolled quartz stones are found, but in far
less quantity, similarly rolled fragments of the other kinds of
rock belonging to this district ; and it is out of this same soil
that the natives obtain gold and diamonds by washing. —
Quartz is also found in this bed of clay, under another form
still more common in the Province of Minas, namely, that of
sharp angular fragments, grouped together so as to form
regular beds, of from six to eighteen inches thick, and fre-
4 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
quently of considerable extent. This siliceous stratum has
no uniform depth in the clay, but often approaches the sur-
face, and then forms the ' Gruns Campos' so characteristic of
that country, and so unfriendly to agriculture, though clothed
with so peculiar a vegetation. Amongst this quartz occur,
although sparingly, fragments of other rocks, particularly of
ironstone. ' The colour of the clay occasionally passes from
red into dull ochre-yellow : and this change in colour is usu-
ally accompanied by a greater degree of fineness and unifor-
mity of composition, with some slight trace of cleavage, or
separation into cubical masses. I have hitherto had no op-
portunity of observing these beds of clay alternating with beds
of sand ; whereas this last formation appears on the surface
over an extent of many degrees in length, in the broad vale
watered by the St. Francisco river.
But the most peculiar character under which these newest
formations present themselves in Brazil, is that called in this
country " Tapanhoacanga," or negro-head. This formation
is seen, like a stream of lava, spread over the plains, valleys,
and hills, nay, even on the highest mountain-ridges of Brazil.
It is most common in those districts where there are iron-
stone rocks of the older formations. It consists of a ferrugi-
nous conglomerate, composed of rolled and angular fragments
of quartz, and other rocks of the country ; but chiefly of the
iron formation itself, such as ferriferous mica slate &c., united
by a ferruginous cement of red, yellow, or black colour. Oc-
casionally, the fragments disappear, and the cementing sub-
stance alone remains. It forms a mass almost as hard as
stone, with a smooth and often shining surface ; inside, it is
full of vescicular holes, which give it the appearance of a slag.
It very often contains stone marrow, and in general the same
minerals that form the constituent portions of the common red
* The origin of this quartz-ted was long a puzzle to me, until more care-
ful examinations of the principal mountain range enlightened me on the
subject. One of the most important members in the composition of that
range is a vast mass of talc slate, with numerous veins and subordinate beds
of quartz. This talc slate, in most places, and to considerable depths, is
in such a state of decomposition, as to crumble between the fingers, and
the quartz separates with the touch into larger or smaller angular frag-
ments. If we examine the beds of diluvium at the foot of this mountain
chain, we there see the red homogeneous clay replaced by a mass of nothing
but fragments of talc slate, lying in all directions, but containing also the
same siliceous layers disposed with more regularity, so as often to look like
connected quartz beds. That this talc slate is in a secondary position, is
evident from its irregular stratification ; and if we follow its development
from the foot of the mountain, it is easy to convince ourselves of its gradual
passage and change into the common red clay, with its usual siliceous bed.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. D
clay, particularly gold, vrhich is often in sufficient quantity to
be worked. The same conglomerate is likewise found in the
caves, and contains the same animal remains as the red clay ;
so that there can be no doubt of the contemporaneousness of
their formation. These most recent formations are found in
the caves, under all the conditions I have thus attempted to
describe, and in about the same relative proportions as to
quantity ; the red clay soil being by far the most common, ei-
ther in a piu-e state, or mixed with siliceous boulders or gravel.
But all these kinds of soil have undergone changed since their
deposition in the caves, of which changes I will now proceed
to give an account.
The first change arises from the infiltration of water charged
with lime. The lime derived from the evaporation of the wa-
ter, and its contact with the surrounding hard bodies, unites
the loose particles of the soil, and changes the whole into a
mass as hard as stone. Indeed, the looser the soil was pre-
viously to this infiltration, the harder does it afterwards be-
come, fi:om the greater quantity of calcareous particles which
it allows to penetrate. For this reason the fine yellow clay
never becomes so hard as the coarse red, the loose composi-
tion of which even permits the calcareous incrustation to col-
lect in connected masses, which are sometimes solid, at other
times contain holes lined with beautiful small crystals of cal-
careous spar. Lastly, the beds of boulders and gravel, which
outside the caves are loose and unconnected, are metamor-
phosed into perfect pudding-stone inside. Another character
which distinguishes the soil within the caves from that with-
out, is the much greater quantity of fragments of limestone
contained in it. These fragments have their angles partly
sharp, and partly broken off and rounded ; and are from the
most trifling size up to that of immense blocks. In those
caves the opening of which is to the north, and which are
closed at the end, these fragments are found in extraordinary
abundance, especially in the inner part, towards the bottom :
while in those which open to the south, or have two opposite
entrances, the fragments are either entirely wanting, or occur
in trifling quantities. This result is based upon the exami-
nation of so many caverns, that it cannot be looked upon as
an accidental circumstance : and the natural explanation ap-
pears to be, that the inundation which deposited the soil in
these caves, must have moved from north to south, and with
sufficient force to carry along with it the blocks of all sizes
which we see scattered inside and outside of the caves.
But the most important substance which has enriched the
soil since its deposition, is, without doubt, saltpetre, which is
6 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
found in sufficient quantity to become an article of industry
and export to the neighbouring population. The origin of
this salt was for a long time obscure to me ; but at length
numerous observations and experiments have convinced me
that it is neither formed in the soil where it lies, nor contain-
ed in the limestone in which the caves occur, but that it owes
its origin to the bed of mould which lies above the caves. —
The rain water that filters through this mould becomes charg-
ed with decomposed vegetable particles, and by contact with
the limestone in its passage through the fissures, the salt is
produced.
Most frequently this bed of soil is covered with a coating of
stalagmite. In my foi-mer communication, describing the cave
of Maquine, I have drawn attention to the difference in the
manner and period of formation of this stalagmitic crust, and of
those columnar and leaf-shaped productions, which, either as
stalactites, hang from the wall or clothe the roof in a thousand
fantastic and indescribably beautiful forms, or, as stalagmites,
rise like enormous pillars or cones from the floor. By far the
greatest quantity of this stalactitic mass belongs to ages an-
tecedent to the introduction of the soil, which is seen resting
on it as a base, just as the soil outside rests on the base of
the older rocks. A much smaller portion has formed since,
and indeed it continues daily to increase, even under the eye
of the observer. On the other hand, the stalagmitic coating
which covers the surface of the soil, must have been a later
production, to which many causes have contributed ; these
causes it is important to distinguish, in order that we maybe
enabled to decide upon the age of the organic remains found
under the stalagmite. In the communication already referred
to, I have proved that the formation of the columnar and leaf-
shaped stalactite is effected by a very slow process. If the
dripping of the water proceeds too rapidly, its dissipating pow-
er prevents its setting, and the stalagmitic mass below is hol-
lowed out, instead of being increased. The calcareous water
which runs down the sides of the stalagmitic blocks, collects
in the first hollow it finds near their base. There, and on its
passage thither, it gradually deposits its lime, and thus there
is gradually spread round the stalagmite mass, and in the de-
pressions nearest to it, a calcareous coat, which the water
continually enlarges, until by the filling up of the first hollow
it is compelled to flow onward to the next, and so on. The
splash of each drop that falls upon the stalagmitic mass also
contributes to form a similar incrustation around it ; as may
easily be seen fi-om the innumerable small inequalities of the
surface, which, with the faces of their crystals, often give an
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 7
appearance of crystallized sugar to the substances covered by
them.
Whoever visits these caverns to admire the beauty of their
fantastic draperies, will dwell with most pleasure on the for-
mations of this class : while for the zoologist they possess
less interest, since the substances they enclose are most com-
monly of very recent origin. Under the stalagmitic mass, and
forming, as it were, the nucleus of these " confetti," I have
often found recent bones of existing animals, shells, nay, even
a piece of charcoal, probably left by savages. Not unfre-
quently do we detect nature in the very act of forming these
incrustations, where, in a heap of bones lying on the floor,
some are already entirely enveloped in stalagmite, others stick
half out of it, while others again lie perfectly untouched, and
awaiting the incrustation that will veil them from our view,
and preserve them perhaps for the investigations of a future
generation. Forasmuch as this formation depends on agen-
cies which are in daily operation on the surface of the earth,
that it to say, on the infiltration of rain water through the fis-
sures and pores of limestone, there can be no reason for sup-
posing that it should not also have been going on at a period
before the introduction of the soil into the caves : and expe-
rience has convinced me that this is really the case. I have
frequently had occasion to observe, under the stratum of soil,
a similar stalagmitic incrustation, with those beautiful basin-
shaped crystallizations known hereby the name of "Pias," or
baptismal fonts.
Besides these originating causes, there is scarcely a cave in
which we may not see, at least in time of rain, the water drop
from the roof, and form basins of a larger or smaller size. —
At the bottom and round the edge of these basins, the same
phenomena already described occur, and occasion incrusta-
tions and depressions in the floor. These two modes of for-
mation of the stalagmitic flooring of many caves are indubi-
table ; and where passages are narrow, and the quantity of
stalactite on the roof and walls considerable, they are sufli-
cient to account for the phenomenon : but at the same time
they are evidently insufficient, in many respects, to serve as
an universal explanation, as for instance, in the case of those
wide and spacious halls into which the caverns often expand,
where a coating of stalagmite covers the stratum of soil, like
ice on the smface of the lake, and yet where no dripping from
the roof betrays the actual presence of incrusting water, — no
stalagmitic crust on the walls or roof attests its agency in
time past.
In the communication already cited, I have drawn atten-
8 M. SANDER RANG
tion to the proofs derived from the condition and preservation
of the bones found in, and immediately under, this calcareous
tegument, which compel us to conclude that its formation
dates from the time immediately subsequent to the introduc-
tion of the soil ; and that it owes its origin to the extraordi-
nary condition into which the surface of our globe passed, as
a consequence of the equally extraordinary catastrophe that
occasioned the destruction of the whole race of animals pre-
viously existing, and the introduction of their remains into
the caves. This stalagmitic crust, which, with so few ex-
ceptions, covers the surface of the soil in all the Brazilian
caverns, is never found beneath it ; which circumstance con-
trasts so strongly with the abundance of the stalagmitic blocks
produced during the remote period that preceded the intro-
duction of the soil, as to be sufficient, in connection with the
adduced proofs, to confirm their distinct origin.
I fear that I must have wearied the Society by dwelling so
long on this point; I trust however that its practical impor-
tance will plead my excuse. Future visitors to these caverns
may perhaps find here a hint to guide them in their search
after the treasures contained in them, and in the determina-
tion of the age of those treasures. The same remark will
hold good with respect to the observations I shall next pro-
ceed to offer on the conditions under which the bones are
foimd in the caverns.
(To he continued).
Art. II. — On the Genus Argonauta. By M. Rang.
( Continued from Vol, iW. page 532.^
Thus the intention of the membraniferous arms with which
certain species of poulps are provided is now known. These
organs envelope the argonaut-shell as the lobes of the mantle
in some other kinds oimollusca envelope their shells. But for
what purpose are they so disposed ? Some naturalists have
thought, and there are those among the number whose learn-
ing and talent are incontestible, that the poulp secreted the
shell by means of its airholes ; would then an opinion be
more unreasonable which should attribute this secretion to
the membranes themselves ? The slender form, the fragile
ON THE ARGONAUT. V
and diaphanous nature of the shell, its sides, which so well
indicate the different applications of the anterior margin of
the membrane, its tubercles along the keel, constant in all the
species ; the coloration of the bases of the arms, correspond-
ing so well with the colouring of the keel towards the spire ;
— are not these characters, which, more thoroughly investi-
gated than they have yet been, would tend to support the
fact of the membranous arms being the organs of secretion ?
We shall be told that it is not by the aid of their mantle that
the Mollusca secrete their shells, but by the collar which
unites them to the opening ; and without doubt this is an
opinion very justly adopted, and we have proved by more
than one circumstance, and even in the preceding note, that
we have for a long time ranged ourselves on the side of this
opinion ; but the argument does not, for that reason, appear
to us the less feeble, for admitting it to be proved that it is by
the collar that the Mollusca secrete their shells, it is also
proved that there are exceptions to this nile. The mollusc
of the Nautilus, for example, the shell of which is very solid
and strong, and must have required two or three kinds of se-
cretion, has no collar, as a skilful English naturalist teaches
us by the anatomical examination which he has lately
made, and in which we find no mention of these organs. —
Now if the mollusc of the nautilus, without the aid of a col-
lar, has constructed a shell so strong, so heavy, and so emi-
nently calcareous, surely we may believe that the mollusc of
the argonaut, likewise a cephalopod, is equally capable of
constructing a shell without such aid. Such a supposition,
according to our view, is so much the more admissible, be-
cause the argonaut, by nature delicate, flexible, and submem-
branous, would seem to favour such a theory much more
readily than the nautilus. Would it then be very strange
that the lobes of the large arms should possess the property
of secreting this slender shell, and that it is but a mere mem-
branous pellicle in its early stage ? Do not the lobes of the
mantle of the Mollusca which form the cowries and the olives,
secrete calcareous layers, which change, in such a remarka-
ble manner, the original aspect of these shells, and ultimately
add largely to their thickness ?
M. de Blainville, who rejects with all the weight of his
authority this line of argument, has, from the very first,
sought to re-consign the use of these membraniferous arms,
with which we have made him acquainted, to the wants
of the poulp of the argonaut, and, having so done, has pressed
it into the service of parasitism. Indeed this philosopher
points out to us, that since the poulp, as is now perfectly
Vol. IV.— No. 37, n. s. c
10 M. SANDER RANG
known, does not adhere to its shell by a muscle, or even a
collar, it is therefore very necessary that it should have some
organ to hold it by ; and, if we do not deceive ourselves,
there lay perhaps one of the difficulties which most clogged
this naturalist in developing his whole ideas upon the para-
sitism of the mollusc in question, for it was impossible, with
the knowledge which he has of the organization of this ani-
mal, that he should believe, like some naturalists, that the
poulp made use of its suckers as a means by which to adhere
to its shell. M. de Blainville sees then, in this abnormal or-
ganization of the large arms of the poulp, an arrangement
necessary for its maintaining its position in the shell that it
inhabits, and, without which, it would be every moment ex-
posed to the loss of it. This is a fact incontestably demon-
strated, and which cannot fail to be adopted indifferently by
the partisans of non-parasitism, and those of parasitism.
Should it be objected, (for it is necessary as much as possible
to anticipate objections), that the poulp can have no need to
cling so strongly to its shell, because the effort that it makes
to expel the w ater from its branchial cavity, when swimming,
far from tending to separate the two, only on the contrary
brings them closer together ; — it would be easy for us to re-
ply, that the movement does not consist merely of remo^^al :
and, that without speaking of shocks, of the agitation of the
waves, &c., it is very natural to suppose that when the mol-
lusc crawls along, carrying its shell with the opening turned
downwards, the shell could not fail to escape, and mount to
the surface of the water, on account of the air which it indu-
bitably contains, if the poulp did not retain it by some means
as constant and as powerful as those which it possesses.
The position of the large arms with their membranes over
the shell, and the service which they render to the poulp,
being once made known and adopted, let us see what are the
inferences which may yet be drawn from this fact to throw
light upon the question, and simplify it from the chaos of ar-
guments presented on all sides, and generally derived from
facts wrongly interpreted, or from pure imagination.
Those naturalists who have turned their attention to the
argonaut, have been very little agreed as to the relative posi-
tion of the poulp to its shell ; and from this there has re-
sulted— first, the inconvenience of not being able sooner to
explain the use of the membraniferous arms; — and, secondly,
a supply of weapons to the partisans of parasitism ; for these
latter have skilfully seized uj)on this disagreement to draw
from it this certainly rather rational argument, that, since the
mollusc adheres sometimes in one manner, and sometimes in
ON THE ARGONAUT. 11
another, it is a proof that the shell has not been made for it,
and does not belong to it : this part of the question being
one of the most important, we shall pause here a little.
Poli, who, from what he says, must have thoroughly in-
spected this animal in a living state, places its great arms in
front, that is to say, at the anterior edge of the opening. —
Ferussac, who has reproduced the beautiful, but too fabulous
sketch of Poli, has, like that naturalist, placed it the wrong
way, at the same time sketching other figures in a proper
manner, which, on the part of one of the most ardent parti-
sans of non-parasitism was a serious fault; but, at least,
proved his candour in the discussion. However, in 1836,
upon some information which we gave him from Algiers, and,
we believe also, in consequence of some observations of M.
Delle Chiaje, or Yerany, he resolved to make a new copy of
the plate borrowed from Poli, in order to turn the animal the
opposite way, which is in fact the true one. It has been
wrongly thought that he made this change only that he might
not leave such weapons in the hands of his adversaries ; —
on the contrary, it was the result of conviction in his mind.
It is very clear, as to the rest, that Ferussac had adopted
the idea that the palmated arms were to be found on the side
of the spiral line of the shell ; since, from 1825, as may be
seen by the memoir which he read to the Academy, he sup-
posed that the palmated portions of the gresii tentacula folded
themselves into a globular mass in the spiral cavity of the
shell, which he would not have been able to point out if he
had thought that these arms were in the anterior part.
M. Delle Chiaje, whose observations will always be of
great weight in all questions of malacological organization,
has not been happy in this circumstance. In fact, he also
reverses the animal in such a manner as to put its membra-
niferous arms at the anterior part of the shell ; and manages,
as he can, to explain how the animal holds its shell by the
aid of suckers, which is difficult enough to conceive, since
he says at the same time, that the arms are spread out upon
the surface of the water. After these come Mr. Broderip,
who affirms^ that in a specimen which he had in his posses-
sion, the palmated arms were on the side of the back of the
shell; and Mr. James Sowerby, who nevertheless acknow-
ledges that in Cranch's specimen it was the contrary.
M. de Blainville has also had well-preserved specimens
in his hands, and he has seen them turned in the manner we
have described ; nevertheless, he draws from the divergence
of opinions, another argument in favour of parasitism. This
argument ought now to fail him, and indeed the inference
12 M. SANDER RANG
which he himself draws from it decides this question ; for it
is very certain, that since the function of the membranes of
the large arms consists in seizing the shell, by enveloping it
from the re-entering part of the keel, to its further extremity,
the animal must be constantly turned, so that this arrange-
ment can take place, that is to say, it must have its dorsal
part towards the spire.
The partisans of parasitism place great stress upon an an-
ecdote, which in fact would be very fit to decide the question,
if it constituted an accurately made and precise observation,
or even one worthy of confidence. We refer to the mollusc
of which Rafinesque has made the genus Ocythoe. We
know not if we are right, but it appears to us, that natural-
ists, who have in some instances very just pretensions to
having based their opinion upon scientific principles, de-
ceive themselves in this instance, and take hold of a fact of
no value, as we are about to show. The history of the genus
Ocythoe is as follows. —
A traveller, studying natural history in the Sicilian seas,
found among other curious things, a cephalopod, of which
this is the description, quoted, and no doubt verbatim, by
M. de Blainville. " Tentacular appendages to the number of
eight ; the two upper ones winged within ; with interior
suckers; pedunculated; joined by the lateral wing; without
any membrane at their base." If, as we cannot doubt, such
is the description furnished by this naturalist, truly those who
back themselves upon this clause to sustain their opinion are
very fortunate, for never besides, according to what we know
of the other poulps he has described, has this observer taken
such great pains in describing a mollusc ; he does not speak
of any shell ; so that fact has been seized upon to show that
the mollusc is the poulp of the argonaut, walking freely in
the open sea, and without its testaceous covering, as if the
author usually took the pains to describe all that he sees in
a mollusc — thus the parasitism is demonstrated !
To all this may we not make the following objections ? —
1st. — It is not proved from this that the mollusc was
without a shell, though Rafinesque says nothing of one.
2nd. — It is not further proved, that in case the animal was,
as we are willing to believe, without a shell, the shell had
not been lost a few minutes before the capture of the animal :
it is necessary, in order to reap advantage from this anecdote,
that we should be well acquainted with all its details.
3rd. — The astonishing descriptions of five or six poulps
met with by the same traveller, and that taken from his Ocy-
thoe, which are the only things that we have the honour of
ON THE ARGONAUT. 13
knowing about him, are not calculated to give to ourselves or
others any confidence in the precision of his observations.
4th. — We have not felt ourselves obliged to believe that
this cephalopod was an argonaut-poulp, more especially be-
cause his description states that the arms had no membrane
at their base, and, as we have seen, although contrary to ob-
servations made upon specimens preserved in alcohol, these
molluscs possess, if not very large, yet, at least, very visible
ones.
5th. — If we wished to describe one of our " Poulpes a
grandes membranes^'' of which Ferussac makes his Veliferes,
and a species of which we shall introduce at the end of this
memoir, we should choose very nearly the same expressions
as M. Rafinesque, so much does his poulp resemble those of
this division.
6th. — An expression made use of by M. de Blainville him-
self, shows of itself, all the uncertainty which prevails con-
cerning this mollusc. "There have been found," says this
naturalist, " in the seas of Sicily, poulps, whose pair of up-
per tentacula is spread out in width, probably as in the para-
sitic poulps, since they appeared to differ sufficiently from
known species to form a distinct genus, under the name of
Ocythoe.''^ We shall just observe, that the veliferous poulps
are common in the Mediterranean, and particularly in the
seas of Sicily and Italy ^ and, that at the epoch when this
traveller made his discovery, and even at that when M. de
Blainville published his article, * Poulpe du Dictionnaire,'
no other species was known.
It would be the same with the argument w^hich it has been
attempted to draw from the two poulps Ocythoe that Ranzani
had in his possession : they were in alcohol, and one of them
moreover carried the fragments of the shell.
The partisans of parasitism bring forward yet another ar-
gument, to which we believe it easy to reply, so as to make
it valueless ; they say, that it is not always the same species
of poulp that we find in the same species of shell. Their
adversaries seek to demonstrate its non-parasitic nature, by
sustaining, that it is always precisely the same. Which are
we to believe ? As for ourselves, our opinion upon this sub-
ject was formed long ago ; and we endeavoured to prove it
in the ' Bulletin Universel des Sciences,' by citing an occa-
sion when we had been able to examine a great number of
these animals, some occupying the Argonauta Argo and others
the rice- grained argonaut. We then easily convinced our-
selves that the same species always inhabited the same shell ;
for we never found in one those that we discovered in the
14 M. SANDER RANG
other. But we will not argue from this fact ; for, following
the example of M. de Blainville, we think that it is not well
in any case, to support ourselves upon an observation capable
of being set aside as being but a mere anecdote ; we will en-
deavour to proceed by means of reasoning.
M. de Blainville thinks, that it was an ordinary poulp that
was seen by Aristotle in the shell of the argonaut ; and he
founds his opinion upon what is said by that gi'eat naturalist
of the arms being united by a membrane, slender as a spi-
der's web, in the same manner as the toes of ducks. Our
ov\Ti observation of the palmatures upon the arms of the
poulps of argonauts, of which we have already spoken, over-
turns this argument, since it shows that the character ob-
served by Aristotle, applies as well to the one as the other.
Mutien, Pliny, Bom, and Bosc, have all spoken of a Seiche
which inhabits the argonaut; that doubtless is true, but it is
not less certain that these naturalists understood by a Seiche,
a poulp ; as is shown by the Sepia octopus of Linnaeus, the
Sepia rugosa of Bosc, &c., &c. How otherwise are we to
comprehend that a Seiche, which is always an elongated ani-
mal, and not at all proteiform as poulps are in general, which
besides,'encloses in its body a large, straight, and solid shell,
could ensconce itself in the cavity of an argonaut, and conse-
quently cause the first shell to accommodate itself to the form
of the other. And further, to admit the possibility of so extra-
ordinary a circumstance, we must suppose, (the narrowness of
the opening in some argonauts considered), that the Seiche
would place itself sideways, — that is, for example, the ventral
part to the right, and the dorsal part to the left ; which would
be contrary to what we have just pointed out as existing in
the cephalopod of the argonaut, where the dorsal part is al-
ways behind, and the ventral part always before, without a
possibility of its ever being otherwise.
M. de Blainville cites M. de Roissy, as having assured him
that he had seen in the hands of M. Ferussac, in two different
species of argonauts, the A, lisse, and the rice-grained argo-
naut, two poulps, evidently of the same species. Here is,
certainly, a very strong objection, and one which appears to
carry much weight ; for M. de Roissy, as all naturalists know,
is an observer as skilful as conscientious, and, for our own
part, we often allow ourselves to be influenced by his judg-
ment, because we have learned to know its worth ; but, wish-
ing to have on this subject very accurate details, we interro-
gated this naturalist, and, we confess, that the objection lost
a great deal of its merit in our eyes, when we had learned
from his own mouth that he had not seen the two poulps in
ON THE ARGONAUT. 15
question in the hands of M. Ferussac, but merely drawings
of them ! and that also these allowed some slight differences
to be perceived, particularly in the colouring.
Every one will agree with us, that, if this fact does not en-
tirely lose its importance by this explanation, it is at least
allowable to adjourn all conclusions with respect to it, and
set it on one side. As to the rest, what inference of any
importance can we draw thence, when we have shown that
the premises are incorrect ? In fact, we can affirm positively,
that the rice-grained argonaut has never been found in the
Mediterranean, but chiefly upon the coasts of Brazil, at the
Cape of Good Hope, and in the Indian ocean.
What we have said of the position and use of the mem-
braniferous arms of the poulp of the argonaut, will suffice,
according to our view, to demonstrate that the same species
of poulp cannot inhabit indifferently either species of shell.
If it were otherwise, it would be in fact difficult to conceive
how the upper arms and the membranes should be found to
correspond in form and proportion with the lateral faces of
the shells, which vary much according to their species. Thus
we should be troubled to comprehend, how the poulp could
maintain itself one day in the rice-grained argonaut, and ano-
ther in the Argonauta Argo ; for, if its arms and membranes
are just large enough to grasp the extent of the face of the
former, they certainly would not be so for those of the latter.
We declare further, that we have never found in the Argonauta
Argo any but the species which we have sketched at the end
of this memoir; and we are obliged to add, that the intensely
blue colouring which we have never failed to meet with up-
on the large arms, gives us little confidence in the rather
romantic pictures hitherto furnished.
The discovery of the use of the palmated arms overturns
some other hypotheses also, from which one or the other
party drew more or less force ; and by this means it simpli-
fies the question.
Among such, is the assertion advanced by one naturalist,
that the two large arms of the poulp arrange themselves in
the interior of the shell, in such a manner that they cor-
respond exactly to the two tuberculated edges of the keel,
and that then the suckers form the tubercles; — and also
Ferussac's way of viewing it, who thought that the palmated
part of the great teiitacula rolled itself into a little globular
mass, in the spiral cavity.
Such is also this other opinion of M. Delle Chiaje, who
thinks that it is by means of suckers that the animal trans-
udes the calcareous matter, destined for the progressive in-
16 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
crease of the shell ; and he finds proof of it in the supposed
fact that the animal adheres to its shell only by these organs :
an assertion also of this same naturalist, that the animal
sees through his shell both his enemies and his prey; a cir-
cumstance, which we confess appears to us difficult to credit,
on account of the covering over of this shell by the mem-
brane of the great arms, which must considerably diminish
its already small degree of transparency ; and, finally, a
description in which the same naturalist proclaims the fact,
that when the poulp of the argonaut wishes to change its
place, it overturns its shell, spreads out at the surface of the
water its two membraniferous arms, as well as its pointed
tentacula, so that there remains only its body in the shell,
adhering to it only by means of some of the suckers nearest
the base. It is now evident, that the palmated arms an-
swer a purpose quite different to that of floaters.
( To he continued.)
Art. III. — Notes on Irish Natural History, more especially Ferns.
By Edward Newman, Esq., F.L.S., &c.
( Continued from Vol. 3, page 577.)
Ascending the rising ground to the south of Ballinahinch, I
found the \dew amply repay me for the trouble. Immediate-
ly beyond the palace — the Martin is a king in Cunnemara,
and his house a palace — rose that strange assemblage of hills
called the Twelve Pins. In my endeavours to count these
Pins, I was quite unsuccessful ; and the number appears to
be optional on the part of the counter. Immediately around
the palace, — a modem and by no means an elegant building,
— water and wood are very prettily interspersed. It would
add some fraction of interest, could I name the bold head-
lands that jutted out into the more level bog, — the lakes that
even there, mountain-locked though they Avere, reflected a
bright blue sky, and fleeting clouds of surpassing white-
ness,— and those lovely islands, covered with the richest,
thickest, wood. How is it that throughout Cunnemara the
lake-islands alone bear trees ; and that here they abound, of-
ten to crowding } I here observed the hen-harrier (Cercus
cyaneus), hunting over the bog, as owls fly along our fallows
in quest of mice. -The face was turned downwards, often
however being moved in every direction. I fancied that these
marauders were looking after the young curlews, which I am
sure must be abundant, for the old ones would run before me
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 17
as I marched over the hills, and waken the echoes of the
Twelve Pins with their piercing whistle. The curlews were
evidently at enmity with the hawks, for sometimes two or
three would follow a hawk, and attempt to stun him with their
whistle ; when they approached too near, the hawk would
turn up his round face as if to take a survey, and then look
down again, as if quite satisfied he had nothing to fear, and
with noiseless wing beat the bog as regularly as a well-train-
ed pointer. During the day I saw many of these hawks, but
not one that I supposed to be the female of the same species.
In the afternoon the clouds came down so low as to hide all
the hills by whose forms I had endeavoured to steer, and I
was not sorry to see something like a road winding round the
shore of a beautifully wooded lake. This lake, I afterwards
learned, was Garromin, and the beautiful woods the property
of a Mr. Mahon, the residence being called Glendalough. —
Just beyond the lake is a cottage called the Recess, and a few
cultivated fields, one of w^hich was completely purple with
the blossoms of Vicia Cracca. The grass was intended for
mowing, and was not yet cut ; I think it would have averaged
three feet in height, and was very close together ; the crop
must have been enormous. There was a patch of oats that
must have been nearly five feet high. From what T learned
at Roundstone, I believe the land might be taken at sixpence
or eightpence an acre unbroken, and where partially re-
claimed, for 2s. or 2s. 6d. The plan is, " to set a plot of
ground to a man," that is, to let him have a tract marked out
from point to point, but not measured, and for this he is to pay
an annual sum. I saw, above Roundstone, plots of about
forty English acres, as nearly as I could guess, set at £2 a-
year. But between Urrisbeg and the sea, is a wonderfully
rich and populous tract, which is let in small pieces, and at
a higher rate. I was told that in the immediate vicinity of
Roundstone, under Urrisbeg, is a population of nine or ten
thousand people ; and I was quite willing to credit it, for [
could have counted near upon a thousand cabins, and ten in-
mates to a cabin is by no means an extraordinary number. —
But this is going back. From " the Recess " I walked stea-
dily along the road, in hopes of finding a place to stop at for
the night, but the bog seemed to stretch out before me, and I
began to anathematize the Irish miles. I felt a twinging in
the shin-bone, which had annoyed me for seven or eight days,
get so much worse that I could scarcely step with that leg
without crying out. I had walked ten hours a-day, which
would be thirty English miles, ever since I broke my shin in
crossing Achill Sound, and it had day by day grown more
Vol. iV.— No. 37, x. s. d
18 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
painful. I began to think the bone was sphntered, and that
I might perchance meet with an effectual stop, if I persisted
in bearing up against it : so I made a halt, took off my knap-
sack, and throwing it on a bed of Menziesia, sat myself down
and examined my wound. I did not like its appearance, and
waited for chances.
I sat for an hour, or rather perhaps lay, for I went to sleep ;
and a party of police, who had been spending a night in
Clifden, to superintend "a pattern" which had been going
on there, happened to come by on their way to their quarters.
They had a queer vehicle ; it was like a liOndon brewer's dray
in nakedness, but with this difference, that the wheels were
under the bed of the vehicle, so that they could sit over the
wheels and dangle their legs down, as in an outside car. Of
course they gave me a lift, and deposited me safely at Flynn's
half-way-house, — a wonderful place, and the residence of a
whole colony of Flynns. I shall never forget the kindness of
the people at this place : they made me an excellent firciin
my bed-room, brought in an enormous dinner, — a fowl killed
on purpose, a pile of potatoes, eggs and bacon, beyond all
possibility of consumption, bread and butter, and whiskey a
discretion. The next morning I could not walk ; so I got a
lift by Bianconi's car. Leaving Flynn's there is a most sweet
lake — Lake Shindella — to the right, with such beautifully-
wooded islands, it was like a land of enchantment. After
Shindella was passed, there came a line of lakes along the
road to the right, and finally these issued in a river, and this
river still accompanied the road, but was so overshadowed by
a fringe of huge Osmunda regalis, that the stream!jwas often
lost to sight, though its course was abundantly marked by this
luxuriant fern.
The road towards Galway is cut beside the river Feogh, a
picturesque although small stream. It runs rapidly over lime-
stone slabs, and similar slabs often overhang its waters, par-
ticularly where it enters the village of Oughterard. Here,
for many hundred yards, a beautiful skreen of the greenest ivy
is suspended from the bank above, and actually dips its ex-
tremities in the rushing river, forming caves and grottoes that
naiads and water-nymphs might be proud to occupy. The
stream falls over a succession of ledges, and just after pass-
ing Oughterard, it flows under one huge slab of limestone,
and is soon lost in the waters of Lough Corrib. The slab or
mass of stone forms a natural bridge, over which passes the
road to Galway. Here the country becomes more cultivated,
and planting to a very great extent is going on. The face of
the country is very curious, displaying the most wonderful
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 19
forms of craggy limestone that I have ever seen, and crowded
with such ferns as delight in rocks. Ceterach officinarum
and Asplenium Rida-muraria and Trichomanes were in the
greatest possible luxuriance. And here I should remark that
I have never seen Ceterach so fine as in Ireland. Many of
the larger ferns were also in great profusion : — Lastrcea Filix-
mas, Las, dilatata, Athyrium Filix-fcemina, and all the forms
of Polystichum aculeatum, and Osmunda regalis, as usual. —
Most of these ferns, but more particularly Ceterach, occurred
on all the walls till I reached Galway.
The walls and houses in Galway are half covered with
Parietaria officinalis ; and being generally very old, and the
Parietaria unusually fine, we might venture to call the old
age of Galway " a green and vigorous old age. " Ceterach is
abundant all round and even in the town. Mine host having
detected me in the act of stowing away a few fi:onds I had
just been gathering, informed me of a botanist resident in the
town, and assured me he would be glad to see me ; so in a
few minutes I found myself in the presence of one of the
most ardent and right-spirited naturalists with w^hom it has
ever been my good luck to foregather. He gave me authen-
tic specimens of Erica Mackaiana, and also Adiantum Ca-
pillus- Veneris from the foot of Urrisbeg.
Having now" finished Cunnemara, I will just run over an
enumeration of its ferns. Adiantum Capillus- Veneris, rai'e ;
Lomaria spicant, abundant ; Pteris aquilina, very sparingly
scattered; Polypodium vulgare, very local ; Cystopteris fra-
gilis, local; Polystichum aculeatum, abundant in some places
and in all varieties ; of Lastrcea Oreopteris I saw one plant
only ; Las. Filix-mas, rare ; Las. dilatata, everywhere ; var.
dumetorum, abundant ; Athyrium Filix-fcemina, abundant ;
Asplenium Adiantufn-nigrum, common on rocks ; Asp. Ruta
muraria, on ruins; Asp. marinum, on cliffs by the sea; Asp.
Trichomanes, on rocks and buildings, not uncommon ; Cete-
rach officinarum, abundant on walls ; Scolopendrium vulgare
not common ; Hymeiiophyllum Tunbridgense and Wilsoni,
on wet rocks, and intermixed ; Osmunda regalis, most abun-
dant, sometimes covering small islands in the lakes. In pass-
ing through the country as I did, and omitting altogether the
Mam Turk range and the Twelve Pins, I must of course have
missed many of the finest localities ; yet is this fist a goodly
one.
I must now make a comment or two on those ferns which
I either did not see at all, or saw but seldom. Polypodium
Dryopteris and Phegopteris ; these species, in Scotland and
Wales, abound in all districts similar to those which I hunted
20 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
most diligently in Cunnemara, yet I never detected a single
frond of either of them in the latter district. Lastr(Ba Ore-
opteris ; although I traversed large districts such as this fern
usually delights in, yet I found it not. I suppose the climate
is too warm for these three ferns, and that they may possibly
occur at a greater elevation : but I should say that Polypo-
dium Dryopteris is exceedingly rare in Ireland, and with the
exception of two fronds gathered by Mr. Moore on Knocklayd,
Co. Antrim, I have neither seen nor heard of a single speci-
men. Osmunda seems to have completely taken the place
of Pleris, and Filix-faemma of Filix-mafi.
It was with regret that I left Galway without having visit-
ed the South Isles of Arran, but the lame leg was in the way,
and moreover I was told it would be difficult to get away
from them with the violent wind that was blowing off shore ;
and much as I wished to see them, especially An-anmore,
where Adiantum Capillus- Veneris is found in such profusion,
I was compelled to give it up, and to patronise Bianconi. —
And really, after all, it is a great comfort that you never can
find yourself in any considerable town, without finding also
one of Bianconi's cars ready to transport you elsewhere as
soon as you please. As I was jolting along the bank of Gal-
way Bay, the clouds were driven headlong to seaward, and
the sun birrst forth with bright but watery splendour. I
gazed on the Isles of Arran, as they rose clearly from the sea
against the blue horizon, and even then I was half tempted to
turn back, but having passed Oranmore, the sea was lost, and
I turned my thoughts inland. The country now assumed a
very different aspect ; it appeared bleak, but was generally
cultivated, and lets at fifteen or sixteen shillings per Irish
acre. Close to the town of Galway the little paddocks for
cattle let at £4. and £6. per Irish acre. Loughrea is a mi-
serable place ; whole streets of houses are without roofs, and
I felt tempted to enquire w^hether the plague or cholera had
stripped them of their inhabitants. Passing the little village
of Aughrim, where the decisive battle was fought between
James and William, I reached the important and thriving
town of Ballinasloe. There I got on board a boat just start-
ing by the canal for Shannon Harbour ; it was drawn by three
horses, a boy was on the first, and another on the third, and
they set off at full gallop, the whips cracking, and the boys
vociferating in the choicest Irish.
At Shannon Harbour I stayed a night, and then went on
board a steam-boat going down to Limerick ; it is a tedious
passage. The steam-boat which took us to Portumna was
a funny concern ; the funnel, boiler, pistons, &c., amidships,
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 21
and the paddle-wheels aft, and no wider than the deck. The
locks and artificial cuts seemed endless ; it is called navigat-
ing the Shannon, but you really navigate little canals, twelve
or fifteen feet wide, for which the Shannon supplies the wa-
ter. However, when we arrived at Portumna, a steamer of
the usual build took us through Lough Derg, the scenery of
which is certainly interesting, but can scarcely be called fine.
This steamer took us to Killaloe, where a boat awaited us,
which, with trotting or galloping horses, conveyed us through
a perfect labyrinth of locks to Limerick. To compare the
navigation of the Shannon with that of the Thames, is sheer
nonsense. The Thames is a vast and deep tide-river, at all
times navigable, but at high water capable of floating the
largest ships ever built : the Shannon is wide, but so shallow
in some places, and so rapid in others, that it never can be
rendered of any mercantile importance. Limerick has in it a
great deal to occupy the time and attention. It is divided
into the new and old towns ; the new town is very respecta-
ble in its way, a sort of Pavement-Moorfields-looking place,
and a long straight street, and the houses much of a same-
ness ; but the old town, on the Clare side of the Shannon,
took my fancy amazingly. I ascended the tower of its an-
tiquated and mis-shapen Cathedral, and gathered Scolopen-
drium, and Ceterach, and Rut a-mur aria, from its summit,
and looked over that ancient tovm, which is known by the
opprobrious epithet of " English ^
I visited Castle Connell, a poor little village six Irish
miles from Limerick, much frequented on account of the ap-
pearance of the Shannon, which is here very shallow, and
runs over a bed of stones. I crossed to the Clare side in a
little boat, and the boatmen wxre very impressive in their
conversation touching the danger of the passage (which they
perform twenty times a-day), and told me the falls were con-
sidered the finest in Europe, and that Mr. English (Inglis)
had been there. On the Clare side are the grounds of Sir
Hugh Massey, and the view of the river from the " hanging
gardens " as they are termed, is very pretty : there is a con-
stant ripple for half a mile. Having heard so much of Mr.
Inglis at this place, I looked into his book, and find, after a
page of grandiloquence, the following wind up. — " None of
the Welsh waterfalls, nor the Geisbach in Switzerland, can
compare for a moment, in grandeur and effect, with the ra-
pids of the Shannon." On the walls of the hanging gardens
I saw abundance of Ceterach, Asplenium Ruta-muraria,
Adiantum-nigrmn, and Tricliomanes, Scolopendrium vulga-
re, Lomaria spicant, and Polypodium vulgare.
22 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
Having had my leg mended by a regular practitioner at
Limerick, I determined to rest it another day, and so got on
board a steamer bound for Kilrush. It was a glorious day,
and the steamer ploughed the sea in gallant style. I call it
sea, for though in courtesy called ' the Shannon,' it is in fact
all sea below Limerick. There is much to amuse the tourist
in this picturesque estuary, but I panted for the mountains,
and was tired of steam-boats. On approaching KiliTish, we
obtain a view of Scattery Island, with its numerous ruins and
lofty round tower. I did not go to the island, but was told
that this round tower is perfectly solid — a compact mass of
stonework from the base to the summit. If so, it differs abun-
dantly from all other round towers, for they invariably have
an internal cavity, apparently to allow of ascent within.
The island is sacred to St. Senanus, who flourished here
long before St. Patrick came into fame. The crabbed old
saint indignantly refused to permit any woman to set foot in
his territory. I believe it was Cannera, a saintess, conveyed
thither on a raft by an angel, whose disappointment Moore
deplores to the tune of ' The Brown Thorn^ taking care, ra-
ther wickedly, to add, how
" legends hint that had the maid
" Till morning's light delayed,
" And giv'n the Saint one rosy smile,
" She ne'er had left his lonely isle."
Oh rare Tom Moore ! I heartily wished I could conjure up
old Senanus from his long rest, not to enquire about Canne-
ra, but simply to ask what the Scientific Associations, and
sapient literati of hi^ day, said about the round towers. It
would be amusing to know at what conclusions they arrived,
and to whom was then assigned the premium on round-tow-
er-speculation. It is very obvious that in the earliest days of
Christianity, when it is to be presumed the Irish were pos-
sessed of more zeal than architectural skill, these towers were
frequently built into their churches, and performed the office
of heaven-pointing spires : but of so superior a structure were
these spires, that even now, when the early churches have
mended the roads, or are reduced to a confused and scattered
heap of ruins, the towers stand triumphant and alone in their
glory, sneering sarcastically at the feeble efforts of time.
When I landed at Kilrush, I found all the steam-boat peo-
ple were going to Kilkee, and T did the same, without any
definite object. There were from thirty to fifty cars on the
quay where we landed, and twelve of these were soon freight-
ed with live lumber for Kilkee. We were a formidable body
LONDON CLAY ON THE SUSSEX COAST'. 23
altogether ; it must have been a gallant sight to a traveller
moving in an opposite direction ! Whips cracking, carmen
shouting, and the company laughing, talking, and smoking,
and on terms of the most easy familiarity with each other. —
On an-iving at Kilkee there was a regular car-race to the best
inn, and when that was glutted, to the second-best, and then
to the third.
When I arose the next morning I was located at a fashion-
able bathing-place. I found it extremely difficult to make
the Irish believe that I was such a fool as to wander over
their island in search of plants or insects, or to see the coun-
try. At Kilkee the folks were of a very respectable class,
and evidently felt nurt at my explanations ; they thought I
was "smoking " them, so T pleaded my leg as an excuse for
coming to Kilkee, and this seemed perfectly rational ; and
when I left the place about thirty-six hours after my arrival,
they kindly hoped I had " found the benefit." Up to this
period I think I had been asked a hundred times my name,
occupation in life, country, exact place of abode, the place I
had last come from, the place T was next going to, the object
of my journey, what I had in my knapsack, and at whose
expense I travelled.
(To he continued).
Art. IV. — On the London Clay formation at Bracklesham Bay,
Sussex. — By James S. Bowerbank, Esq., F.G.S., &c.
There are few localities where the London Clay can be ex-
amined, of which so little is known, and which at the same
time is so worthy of a careful investigation, as that portion
presented to our view by the action of the sea at Bracklesham
Bay and its neighbourhood, on the coast of Sussex. The
deposit here differs so much, both in its mineral character and
fossil contents, from the same formation in other parts of Eng-
land, and exhibits so close an approximation in both these
respects to the corresponding beds in France — those of the
Calcaire Grossier — as to render it a matter of surprise that it
has not attracted a greater share of the attention of English
geologists.
The low clay cliffs extending from Selsea Bill to the mouth
of Chichester Harbour, seldom exceed ten or twelve feet in
height, and for by far the greater part of the space interven-
ing between these points, do not rise higher than six or seven
feet. This section presents the usual characteristic appear-
24 ON THE LONDON CLAY FORMATION
ance of the London clay,— dark brown or blueish clay, with
rarely any fossil remains. The base of this low cliff is usu-
ally covered up with shingle, which extends towards the low
water mark for about fifteen or twenty yards, and there it ter-
minates. The remaining space intervening between the foot
of the shingle bed and low water mark, is in many places at
least 80 or 100 yards in length, and presents a surface, under
ordinary circumstances, of a clean, dark greyish-green sand,
with scarcely a single pebble to be seen : but after some
tides it is literally strewed with thousands of the detached
valves of Venericardia planicosta, and of other shells, while
at other times scarcely a shell can be found. The part of the
bay most interesting to the geologist, is that immediately in
the neighbourhood of Bracklesham Barn, especially at about
a furlong to the east of that spot, where there is a small
break or chine in the low clay cliff. At this place, and at a
few paces east and west of it, beneath about six or seven feet
of clay, there is a stratum of light green marly sand, abound-
ing in remains of Venericardia planicosia and other shells,
but which is frequently entirely hidden by thrown-up shingle,
and it is very rarely that more than a few feet in length of
this bed can be seen. It is from this bed, or from one ex-
ceedingly like it, somewhat lower in the series, that perhaps
most of the interesting shells of this district are to be pro-
cured. If we proceed from this little break or chine west-
ward, for about forty paces parallel to the coast, and then in
the direction of a line at a right angle to the cliff, and at the
time of low water, we shall find, near the low- water-mark,
the bed we have described as abounding in fossils, exposed
by the action of the sea in the most favourable manner. At
this spot Venericardia planicosia is found literally by thou-
sands, with the valves united, the shells resting upon their
edges, and packed close to each other, exactly in the manner
that we might expect to have found them, supposing them to
have been recent shells with the animals yet inhabiting them.
Comparatively very few are gaping, and their condition and
position strikingly impress upon the mind the idea that when
alive, they must have inhabited the spot from which they are
now disinterred; especially as there are numerous small and
fragile species of other well-known London-clay shells, which
could not have remained whole had they been subjected to
much attrition amid the larger shells siuTounding them. On
the sands in the vicinity of this spot I found large masses of
Nummularia Icevigata cemented together, and numerous de-
tached specimens of the same shell.
At the eastern extremity of this bed, which, at the time of
AT BRACKLESHAM BAY, SUSSEX. 25
my visit, was opened for about fifty yards, I found Sanguin-
olaria Hollowasii, a rare and fragile, but very beautiful shell,
in a fine state of preservation. At about twenty or thirty
yards westward of the western end of this interesting patch of
shells there are large blocks of this bed, which, being of a
firmer texture than the surrounding parts of the deposit, have
suffered less from the action of the water, and project about
twelve or eighteen inches above the surrounding sand, and,
by presenting an obstruction to the ebbing tide, they usually
induce the formation ol" a small pool amidst which they
stand. At the south-eastern side of this pool, on one occa-
sion I found the stratum, which is usually covered by the
sand, completely exposed. At this spot there was scarcely
a specimen of Venericardia planicosta to be seen, but in-
stead of this shell, Turritella conoidea and edita were em-
bedded in a dark green marly sand ; and among them, toge-
ther with Fusus longmvus, and other well-known London-
clay shells, I found Venericardia acuticostata and mitis, and
a splendid specimen of Conus deperditus, fully equal in size
to the one figured by Deshayes. Westward of this point I
did not meet with anything particularly interesting.
Proceeding eastward from this locality, I found, at about
midway between high and low water mark, Cerithium Cornu-
copicBy a Corhula, which I believe to be Corh. gallica, Cythe-
rea trigonula and sulcatarea, and a new species which I
cannot find in Deshayes' work ; and also Area duplicata and
a new species of Crassatella.
About midway between Bracklesham bam and the Thomey
coast-guard station a series of patches of a deposit of chalk-
flints was exposed : the first of these was nearly at low water
mark, and the remainder of them ran, at short distances from
each other, in a diagonal line towards the coast, nearly in the
direction of a straight line drawn from their western extremity
to the Thomey station houses. Apparently, this stratum of
flints has not, at any time, exceeded eight inches or a foot in
thickness, they are indeed so thinly scattered as rarely to oc-
cur piled upon each other : very few of them have suffered
from attrition, and the greater part retain their original form
and whitened surface. They are firmly embedded in the same
light green marly sand, which I before described as occurring
at the bottom of the London clay, in the neighbourhood of
the little chine near Bracklesham bam. Amongst the flints
there are numerous remains of the roots of trees, in the state
of soft bog-wood; which indicate that this portion of the
strata has been very thinly covered by the superimposed clay.
Vol. IV.— No. 37, n. s. e
US ON THE LONDON CLAY FORMATION
Upon one of the bouldered flints, firmly embedded in the
marly sand, I found the most interesting of the valuable series
of fossils which I had the good fortune to obtain during this
excursion, namely, a fine specimen of Astrea, built upon the
upper and exposed surface of a flint. The base of the coral
is three and a quarter inches long and two and a quarter wide,
and closely embraces and spreads over the rounded edge of
the smooth stone. No part of the coral appears to have suf-
fered firom attrition : it is three and a half inches in height
from the base to its upper surface, from which a considerable
portion has been broken off", and the fractured surface presents
every appearance of having suffered no other injury than that
arising from the action of the water since it was exposed. I
have carefully examined, with a high microscopic power, thin
sections of the stone on which this interesting coral is built,
and can safely assert that it is truly a chalk-flint, as it exhi-
bits the characteristic organic structure of the Kentish chalk-
flints, and abounds with the well-known forms of the foramen-
iferous shells of the chalk. On the following day I obtained
fi:om one of the coast-guard, a second but smaller specimen
of the same coral, which had been picked up close to the spot
where mine was procured. This has been drawn by Mr. J.
DeC. Sowerby, and engraved to accompany the present paper.
Astrea is completely a tropical genus ; but when we consi-
der the many other tropical forms occurring in the same for-
mation, such as those abounding among the fruits, the remains
of saurians and fresh- water turtles, and also that Astrea has
been found in the lower beds of the calcaire grossier, we shall
not be surprised at its occurrence in beds which, according
to the description of Mr. Webster, are so closely allied to
those of the calcaire grossier of Liancourt, both as regards
their mineral character and their fossil contents.
Near the Thorny coast-guard station Cerithium Cornuco-
pi<B and giganteum, Turritella sulcifera [Melania sulcata of
Sowerby), Tur. terehellata and multisulcata^ are found, al-
though I could not ascertain the beds from which they come,
but their position is probably lower in the series than those
which occur to the westward of Brackelsham barn. Sower-
by, in the description of Melania sulcata in the ^ Mineral
Conchology,' states that at Stubbington, where the specimen
figured was found, " the cliff" is twenty or thirty feet high,
composed of sand and gravel, more or less mixed with blue
mud, and frequently irregular patches of sand. At the base of
this is a stratum, not more than two feet thick, of blue clay
or mud, in which the shells are found."
AT BRACKLESHAM BAY, SUSSEX.
27
I propose naming the coral (fig. 1), Astrea Wehsteri, after
the veteran geologist who has thrown so much light upon the
formation in w^hich it was found.
A. Astrea Wehsteri from Brackelshftm Bay. B. A portion of the same magnified.
Note by Mr. James De C. Sowerby, upon the Astrea from
Bracklesharn Bay.
Five or six species of Astrea nearly resembling this are found
at Hauteville, and other places in La Manche, where Ceri-
thium Cornucopice abounds. The existence of this Astrea at
Brackelsham Bay is therefore another link between the Lon-
don clay of Hampshire, and the tertiary beds of France, and
would indicate a temperature progressively higher in that di-
rection, when the beings, the remains of which we now find,
were living. May we not hope that an assemblage of such
indications may hereafter show if any, and what, changes
have taken place in the position of the equator since the de-
position of these strata ?
Camden Town,
Nov. 2Srd, 1839.
28 SPONTANEOUS GENERATION OF PLANTS
Art. V. — On the Flora of Snow Formations, in reference to the
theory of Spontaneous Generation. By W. Weissenbobn,
Ph. D.
Although the recent discoveries of Professor Ehrenberg
appear little favourable to the casual production of organic
beings at the present period, yet they do not in the least
affect the theory, that their original existence is owing to a
purely dynamic process. The importance of this subj ect will
perhaps excuse me if I try, in this place, to lessen the weight
of the above conclusion,' by some reflections (founded on
facts to which I have not alluded in my former articles on this
question) on certain spontaneous generations which are un-
doubtedly going on in our time, and which, in calling the at-
tention of the reader to the traces of a nascent future creation,
may serve to throw some light on the conditions of the former
and present ones, as well as to banish the uncouth idea of a
Deus ex machina.
Although it would appear from the calculations of M. Fou-
rier, as applied by M. Arago (Annu. du Bur. de Long. 1834),
that the general temperature of the globe has not changed by
■i^ of a degree centig. within the last 2000 years, yet, accord-
ing to the theory of cosmogony now universally admitted, the
body which shall next add a new crust to the solid part of our
planet must be water, in the various modifications of structure
which it presents under the forms of ice and snow. What
proportion of the existing quantity of it w ill be required and
consumed in completely oxidizing and cicatrizing the actual
mineral crust, it is impossible to determine ; but leaving the
vapoury part of it out of the question, and supposing the mean
depth of the ocean to be only four miles (the calculations of
Laplace make it from four to five), and its extent about three
fourths of the surface of the globe ; then supposing the mean
density of the solid and lasting products of water, from the
hardest ice to the lightest snow, to be half that of water, the
thickness of the strata that will be added to the globe by the
solidification of the water existing on the surface of our pla-
net will be six miles. Were the bed of the ocean to remain
in its present state, the present mineral crust of the globe
would be covered only three miles high, reasoning from the
present level of the sea; but as that bed is constantly filling
up, the distribution of the crust of ice and snow over the whole
» The conclusion alluded to will be found in Vol. 3, paffe 508, in an
analytical notice of Ehrenberg's work.— Ed.
ON THE SURFACE OF ICE AND SNOW. 29
surface of the globe, will be considerably more equable than
might be otherwise anticipated.
Now we must suppose that long before the whole of this
vast geological formation shall be added to the surface of the
globe, the whole of the living creation strictly belonging to
the present crust must have become extinct, and their remains
imbedded and partly preserved in snow and ice, as their ex-
istence is incompatible with a ground composed (chiefly) of.
snow and ice, as well as with a perfectly dry atmosphere.
Let us not, however, conclude, that this new surface will
present a dreary aspect, or be void of vegetable and animal
life. During the gradual transition from the present state of
things to the succeeding one, it cannot be doubted that many
organisms will arise w?iich will link the succeeding creation
to the former ; and though in the present state of the surface
the geographical distribution of the species of the same fami-
lies appears to prove that the complication and perfection of
structure depends greatly on the quantity of free caloric pre-
sent, yet we have no right to conclude that under circumstan-
ces entirely changed, the comparative absence of that element
from the ground must render the new creation comparatively
scanty and imperfect. Nay, there are many reasons which
would seem to support an opposite conclusion.
^;/'i for proofs of this new creation we have to look to the poles
and the tops of the alpine mountains, where the geological
formation of ice and snow has already fairly begun. The
Flora of these regions is, as yet, very poor ; but we have to
consider that it is in an incipient state. On the Alps grow
two species, the red snow [Protococcus or Palmella nivalis),
and a very curious production which M. Hugi found only on
the glacier of the Unteraar, but which is said also to occur
on that of Chamouni, a description of which I shall give be-
low. To the snow-flora of the Poles, consisting likewise of
the red snow, the expedition of the Recherche to Spitzbergen
has lately added (as stated in a letter from Dr. Robert to
Baron Struve, the Russian minister in Hamburgh) a second
species of red snow, and a delicate green flabelliform plant,
two inches in height. Now we have only to notice the pe-
culiar circumstances under which these plants are found, in
order to be convinced that they are the specific and sponta-
neous productions of a soil that is neither "land" nor "seas,"
and to render it probable that from every new and well-esta-
blished stratum there will spring a new creation at any time.
As the polar regions are comparatively unknown, and have
never been visited by man within about ten degrees of lati-
tude from the north pole, these phenomena have only been
36 SPONTANEOUS GENERATION OF PLANTS
well studied on high mountains, especially the Alps of Swit-
zerland, where besides, every modification of lasting ice and
snow is comprised within a narrow range that may be survey-
ed with comparative facility.
From the foot of the glaciers to the highest tops of the
mountains, the ice and snow present a constant change of stra-
tification and structure. Below, the strata average eight feet
in thickness, and the ice-crystals are often two inches in di-
ameter. On the summit of the glaciers the thickness of the
strata is at most two feet, and sometimes only six inches, and
the crystals having become gradually smaller on the limit of
the glacier, pass into that sort of granulated snow which in
Switzerland is called Firn. The appearance of this fim marks
the limit of a very important change in the meteorological
conditions. Whilst the height at which the glaciers begin,
as well as the line of perpetual snow, varies in Switzerland
fi'om 6,000 to 10,000 feet, according to the exposure, thefirn-
line, at about 8,000 feet, appears to be comparatively inde-
pendent of temperature. At the height of from 10,000 to
12,000 feet above the sea, M. Hugi sometimes observed a heat
of from +15° to H-20° R. (the thermometer being probably
exposed to the direct rays of the sun), but no melting of the
snow, as is remarked below the firn-line at much lower tem-
peratures; (see Hugi's Naturhistorische Alpenreise). At such
high temperatures M. Hugi saw the fresh-falling snow losing
its needles or rays, and converting itself into grains, so as to
constitute Jlrn, whilst the old firn became loosened to the
depth of several feet, so as to resemble a heap of hemp-seed.
The Palmella nivalis is found exclusively on the fim, be-
ginning at the firn-line and ending about 1,000 feet above it.
It is never seen either on a glacier or common snow ; its fa-
vourite habitat being sunny slopes where the snow is quickly
changed into firn. In August it is already blackish and de-
caying at the firn-line, in full growth at 8,200 feet, and just
springing at 9,000 feet. It is interesting to find that not on-
ly is the existence of the plant strictly dependent on that of
fim, but that the form of the former bears an evident relation
to the structure of the latter. The little plant, in its nascent
state, has the form of the letter Y, the simple radicle descend-
ing between two grains of the second layer, and the two little
branches embracing one grain of the surface-layer of the firn.
In its incipient state it tinges the firn with a delicate rose co-
lour, which is not observable when the eye is brought to the
same level as the surface of the fim ; but when fully develop-
ed, the plant appears above the surface of the firn,*^ which is
then beautifully crimson-coloured. The Palmella afterwards
ON THE SURFACE OF ICE AND SNOW. 81
becomes dingy, and at last black, decaying into mould which
sinks into the firn.
The second plant of the snow-formation, which M. Hugi
discovered, is never found on the firn or common snow, but
grows out of the solid ice of the glacier of the Unteraar. The
circumstances under which it is produced, and the plant it-
self, are described by M. Hugi as follows.
It is well known that all snow melts away from that gla-
cier (as well as others) every year ; and a certain portion of
the surface of the glacier of the Unteraar is afterwards seen
studded with innumerable holes, from one to six inches wide
and from three to twenty inches deep, the bottom of each be-
ing filled with black mould. In the neighbourhood of still
existing snow-patches near the north-easterly side of the gla-
cier, M. Hugi found these holes as yet very shallow, and a
substance, more like jelly than mould, was still adhering to
the surface. Soon after he also observed on the very borders
of the snow-patches, while yet at some distance, spots of a
bright yellow colour, which he found to be substances nearly
the size of the hand, and an inch thick, very delicate and
spongy, the under surface of which was strongly attached to
the glacier, but they were unfortunately already in a state of
decomposition. If he removed them, they melted into a co-
lourless water, leaving his hands stained with an ochraceous
substance. It was only in one spot that he found a well-pre-
served specimen of this plant. He cut out the part of the
glacier on which it was growing ; the ice was perfectly pure
and transparent, the plant was about the size of a hand, and
half an inch thick, and presented ill-defined hemispherical
protuberances and almost the appearance of a Tremella^ but
had so little cohesion that every part, when touched, crum-
bled, or rather melted, away. The whole appeared like a
beautifully bright yellow excrescence of the glacier, studded
with bubbles, and melting into a water of the same yellow
colour ; whereas in the older and decayed plants, the colour-
ing principle had already been precipitated. This produc-
tion was sunk between the crystals of the glacier, into which
it had struck innumerable capillary radicles. The line of se-
paration between the ice and the growth could nowhere be
distinctly made out, nor could any peculiar organization be
discovered in the latter, even with the assistance of a lens.
We see, therefore, that the power of vegetation is inherent
even to snow and ice, and that by creating organized beings,
which decay, they lay the foundation for the existence of be-
ings of a higher order.
As to the production of animal life on the snow-formation,
32 ON SOME SPECIES OF ASTEIUAS
we cannot expect to find living proofs of it in the present in-
cipient stage of the formation itself In the mean time the
existence of creatures, as the Podura nivalis, which are ma-
tured by the influence of snow, and can only enjoy their lives
on that substance, will justify the conclusion that a continu-
ous surface, foimed chiefly of ice and snow, does not exclude
animal life.
But if we must admit the Flora of the snow-formation to
exist by dint of spontaneous generation, it is but rational to
conclude that the higher creatures, to whose purposes that
Flora will, without doubt, be at some time subservient, will
not be created by direct supernatural intervention ; and al-
though it may never be given to man to point out clearly how
the natural powers, through which the Almighty manifests
Himself to him, have operated or shall operate in creating
animals, yet any unprejudiced mind may clearly discern that
by cutting the knot in the customary manner, we can never
hope to arrive at anything like a fair solution of the question.
Weimar, 1839.
Art. VI. — Remarks on some species of Asienais fou7id in Cornwall,
By Jonathan Couch, Esq., F.L.S., &c.
I HAVE the pleasure of forwarding for insertion in the Maga-
zine of Natural History, a notice of some of the less known
species of British star-fish, of the first of which Dr. Fleming
complains of the want of a figure and description. These
might have been supplied before now, if naturalists, living in
some of our larger ports, where the trawl-fishery is chiefly
followed, had examined the various matters torn from the bot-
tom by that mode of fishing. I have no opportunities of this
sort, and am chiefly indebted to accident for the possession
of the specimen here described.
Prickly Star-fish. Asterias spinosa. Flem. Br. An. p. 487.
The diameter of this specimen, across the disk and rays,
was thirty-three inches ; but the five rays were not of equal
length, the longest being fourteen inches. Across the disk,
in one direction, the diameter was three and a half inches, in
another, three inches ; the disk depressed, although this may
be only casual. The rays, at their origin, were two inches
wide, tapering, depressed, flaccid ; their spines stout, and
each surrounded by a tuft of fine suckers. Two of the rays
have a double row of spines along the middle, divided by a
FOUND IN CORNWALL. 33
slight depression ; on the other rays only one row of spines,
which are irregularly scattered. There is also a marginal
row pointing obliquely downwards and forwards. The co-
lour above, reddish brown ; tufts round the spines yellow\ —
Interior of the stomach j)ale green, and surrounded by eleven
teeth. This species bears a greater resemblance to Asterias
glacialis than to any other known to me ; but besides its su-
perior size, it differs in having the rays less tapering and more
flaccid. The proportion of the rays to the disk is also differ-
ent ; for whilst in Ast. glacialis they are as two to one, in the
species under consideration, on the under surface, where they
are best defined, the breadth of the disk is to the length of the
ray as two and a half to twelve. The individual spines are,
indeed, not much unlike those of Ast. glacialis, but their dis-
tribution, and consequently the figure of the body, are differ-
ent. The spines on the disk are smaller than those on the
rays. The weight of the body cannot be sustained, or even
turned over, by lifting it by the rays, without separating them.
The specimen came from deep water.
It must be allowed that on comparing this description with
the figure of a portion of a ray of Asterias spinosa in Borlase's
Natural History of Cornwall, plate 25, fig. 18, the resemblance
is not exact; and I have no opportunity of referring to other
original authority. If, therefore, any learned naturalist shall
dispute the appropriation of the name, I give it up, on the
condition that a more correct reference be given.
The difficulty of doing this, however, will be somewhat ap-
preciated by referring to the present state of our knowledge
of some other species, which is far from satisfactory. Thus,
in the Mag. Nat. Hist., o. s., vol. ix, page 145, the references
are made on the supposition that two species have been con-
founded; one of which is studded with produced spines, while
the other, strictly speaking, has none, — the moveable, leg-like
crutches not being regarded as such. It is true, the species
above described cannot have been known to Dr. Johnston ;
for he represents his Ast. ruhens, of the length of twenty inch-
es, as being superior in size to any other British species. —
But the Doctor, who probably is as competent to settle the
synonymes of the British Asteriadce, as any naturalist in the
kingdom, is in error when he judges it to be the same as that
which he has represented at page 145 of the same volume;
and which also is different from that which I understand to
be signified by the name of Ast. ruhens. The latter, as shown
in Pennant's Brit. ZooL, vol. iv., plate 30, fig. 58, ed. 1757,
closely resembles a species familiarly known in Cornwall,
which does not commonly exceed the size given in the plate,
Vol. IV.— No. 37, n. s. f
34 STAR-FISH FOUND IN CORNWALL.
although a few may be found of twice that magnitude. I
must therefore refer to Pennant's Ast. hispida as different from
the Ast. spinosa described above, as well as from the species
given by Dr. Johnston under the name of Ast. ruhens, the
figure of which, though slight, is characteristic of one, a
description of which I subjoin, as it will supply a few parti-
culars not contained in Dr. Johnston's account.
The diameter of the specimen was eighteen inches, to the
extremity of the opposite rays ; of the disk, two inches and
three quarters ; below, the proportion of the diameter of the
disk to the length of a ray, as one to two and three quarters ;
the disk flat ; rays seven, thin and tapering ; breadth of the
ray where widest, one and three-tenths of an inch. Skin
coriaceous ; on the disk minute spines, several from one base ;
those on the rays somewhat larger, but less thickly set ; along
the margin of the rays a double row, larger and more elevated
than the others. Leg-spines three lines long ; suckers be-
neath, in two rows, stout. Hays exceedingly frangible ; two
that were broken off, flaccid, especially at the points ; one
remaining uninjured, rigid at the tip. Colour reddish orange.
In its stomach a purple Spatangus, crushed together.
I the more despair of finding a proper synonym for this
species, that Dr. Johnston has failed in it ; but, as some de-
signation is indispensable, I have named it Ast. pectinata,
from the minute points which crown the ossicula, and which
become distinctly visible only when dry.
I shall conclude these remarks by the description of a mon-
strosity in the common species, — Ast. glacialis, the clam or
cramp. It is of the ordinary size, and possesses eight rays ;
but to distinguish it from the simple duplication of parts, it
possesses three of those circular dorsal organs, the use of
which is uncertain, but of which a common specimen pos-
sesses only one. These three occupy triangularly, one half
of the disk, and seem connected with four of the rays, the
other four lying distinct from them.
This species is in great abundance in spring, being found
in multitudes in the fishermens' crab-pots, the baits of which
they readily find. As the season becomes warmer they dis-
appear, and in summer comparatively few are to be seen.
Polperro, Cornwall.
Dece7nher, 1839.
ON THE MONKEYS KNOWN TO THE CHINESE. 35
Art. VII. — On the Monkeys known to the Chinese, from the Native
Authorities. By Samuel Birch, Esq., Assistant in the Depart-
ment of Antiquities, British Museum ; Assistant Secretary for the
English Section of the Archaeological Institute of Rome.
( Continued from page 592, vol. 3^.
Leaving the animals approximating nearest to man in Chi
nese Natural History, a secondary kind of baboons or apes
appears in the Encyclopedia. Of these the Pei, the Hwatso,
the Pih yuen, and others, are not very discernable with re-
gard to species, although their general appearance is suffi-
ciently accurate to identify the genera to which they appertain.
The Pih yuen is apparently a Hylohates or Machacus ursinus,
and its name implies "a white monkey." The 'San tsae' ob-
serves, — " There are in the Tsang ting hills many Pih yuen;
their outward appearance is similar to a Me how. They have
large and uneven arms and legs, taking long steps, and are
excellent climbers of trees ; their note is mournful." — San.
Zool. iv. 41. The Pe or Pei is perhaps the Siamang ; it is
figured erect, is described as " like a wild boar, with white
stripes, long neck, and tall legs. It stands erect like man,
is fierce, stupid, and excessively powerful. It tears up trees
and delights in injuring mankind." — San «Scc. Zo. iv. 19. This
animal is not described or drawn in the Japanese Encyclope-
dia. The Mashe (horse-hog) is fabulous from its description,
viz. " that in the Fow yu hills are quadrupeds whose exterior
form is like that of an ape with four ears, tiger's hair, and a
cow's tail. Their cry is a loud bark. They are designated Ma
she and eat men. When seen it is a sign of plenty of water."
This, if real, is the Machacus leoninus. Likewise the animal
in Zool. iv. p. 30, where the description states that " in the
Yuho kingdom are beasts whose body is of a black colour.
Fire issues from their mouths. Their appearance is like a
Mehow. They walk and sit like men." — Zool. iv. 30. This
is either a Hylohates or Simla Lar.
The Pih heaou (white bawler) is an edible animal. The
San tsae (Sec. fixes it to the Lun tseen hills. " In the Lun tseen
hills are beasts like apes, wdth long arms. They are fit for
killing, and called Pih heaou." — San tsae, &c. Zool. iv. 34.
The Papio Maimon is figin*ed under the name of Tao teih or
glutton, and a most ludicrous mistake has been made by the
describers ; for since the eyes of the Papio^ especially of the
adult animal, are excessively small, they have accordingly
been figured and described in the nipples of the animal ! —
"The gluttons" says the text "have a goat's body, with human
36 ON THE MONKEYS KNOWN TO THE CHINESE.
face, eyes under their breast, tigers' teeth, and human nails.
Their cry is like the squalling of children ; they eat men as
well as other things. They are found in the Kewyu hills. —
The * Book of Hills and Streams ' calls them Keuhaou." — Zo.
iv. 39.
The Tung [Simla callitrix) is another type that can be
identified. They are described as " belonging to the Yuen
yew species, being nimble in their movements, and excellent
climbers of trees : both great and small kinds have the long
tails of the Yuen, but of a golden colour, and are commonly
called Kin-tseen Jung (golden thread Jung ). They are bred
in the Laeshin hills. Men shoot and kill them with poisoned
arrows. Their tails are made into bed-clothes, saddle-hous-
ings, and rugs to lie upon. The Jung are vastly fond of their
tails, but when strack with the poison gnaw them off through
pain, to get rid of their calamity." The Hwatso is a fabulous
animal, and consequently an object of superstition. "In the
Yaoukwang hills are animals whose exterior appearance is
like a Mehow, with human face and hogs' bristles. During
the winter they dwell in caves. They are called Hwatso :
their cry is like cut water, and when seen they are ominous
of a conscription." The " cut water " probably refers to the
noise of a mill. The expression " yaon yih" in the text, ap-
pears to imply the power that the Chinese, in common with
other despotic Asiatic governments, have of forcing people to
work for them. Yih is literally " police runners to send out"
&c. — Zool. iv.
" The Yew are like the Mehow, and of a deep yellow and
black colour ; their tails are several cubits long, like an ot-
ter's, but have no tufts. When they scent the dew ascending
to form rain, they then suspend themselves from a tree by
means of their tails, to fill their nostrils with it, or else by both
feet. In Keangtung they call them carriers, (Wuhkeen)." —
Zool. iv. 38.
The Gaou are said to inhabit the Lunseen hills, to be like
an ape, with long arms, to be good for killing, and called Gaou.
— Zool. iv. 34. " The Yuen's arms, when cut through at the
thick part, can be made into flutes rounder than reeds ; they
are of the monkey tribe, having long legs, and are good whis-
tlers, given to dragging things about, whence their name is
derived from the character yuen, to drag or lead. — Zool. iv. 36.
" The Jen are like the common monkey (how), with green
body and dark jaws, they have black whiskers: their paws
are also black. They are naturally very fond of their whis-
kers, and dote on their species, living and dying together ;
on which account if one can be got at a hundred may be kill-
ON THE MONKEYS KNOWN TO THE CHINESE. 37
ed. Men shoot them with poisoned arrows ; the shot animals*
companions draw out the arrow in order to wound themselves,
and die with one another." They are also called Kwojen ;
vide Morrison, (Diet. Chin, and Engl., part ii. vol. i. p. 321.
4to. Macao).
The How monkey {Swiia) is one name for five sorts, viz.,
How, Nao, Keo, Yu, and Muh. The female monkey is
called ^Moo how not pin. The name of the Muh (washers)
is derived from their habits : "they are naturally addicted to
running about, fond of stealing things and utensils, and of
imitating men, and as soon as they have brought forth their
young, in imitation of mankind, they plunge them into the
mountain streams." — Zool. iv. The how is the proper mon-
key, but no plates being given of the others, it is difficult to
guess which are indicated.
This closes the account of the Simice in the ' San tsae too
hwuy : ' many of the animals are fabulous, some few perhaps
new. The following scattered notices have been collected
from other sources, to throw as much light on the subject as
limited time and materials will allow. Although Zoology as
a science, may not receive much additional information from
Chinese works, yet animals of new species may occasionally
be found, as was the case of the tapir first described from the
Chinese by Mr. A.bel Remusat, the existence of which has
since been satisfactorily proved. The Japanese Encyclope-
dia before quoted, only presents its readers with two sorts of
monkeys — the Yuen or Yuen-how, and the How, also named
Hoosun. Fan ming mo sze cha, — " The name of Fan pro-
vokes their irritability." " The keo are like monkeys, and fond
of seizing in their paws men's property." Fan is the name of
an Indian bonze. (See Heuen &c. part xii. p. 5).
The Urhya, of which a very splendid copy in 4to., an edi-
tion of the sixth year of the emperor Keaking, exists in the
library of the British Museum, not only contains several draw-
ings with explanations, but also an account of the Yu, or 'do-
mesticated class,' with a commentary. The plates have the
Fuh-fuh holding a sword, and said to be " like a man, with
straggling hair, and to run after men to eat them." — Urh-ya,
part Heahow, p. 27.
The Mung yung nao chwang ; " the Mung yung have the
appearance of the Nao." Mung yung means dull face.
The " Nao yuen that are good climbers ; " a species of Hy-
lohates.
' Moo, mother, instead of the common feminine adjunct or prefix for
female animals.
38 SILICEOUS CASTS OF ECHINITES
The " Keo foo, remarkable for their steady gaze; '' and in
their description in a consecutive page it is stated, that " the
Keo are like a large Mehow, that their general colour is of a
blueish black, and that when they meet men, they are fond of
looking favourably upon them." In commentary upon the
Keu they are described as " located in the Keen ping hills, be-
ing about the size of a dog, and like a Mehow, having much
whisker and hair on the top of their head, which they are fond
of brushing, and that when they meet men they pick up stones
and throw at them." In the Dictionary of P. Basil the Keo
are described as a species of monkey like men, which ravish
women. In comment upon the Nao it is stated that " their
external appearance is like a luy, but smaller ; that they are
of a brownish black colour, can be domesticated, are more
agile than cats in catching mice, and that Kewshih says that
the Nao only come from the south, and are of the Mehow
baboon species."
This finishes the monkeys in the works above cited. In
the Chinese Dictionary of P. Basil, published by De Guignes,
folio, Paris, 1807, the following apes are mentioned.
The "Kea,' sort of ape like a man." The Tsoo. The
Hoosun, " animal like a monkey." The Nao, " sort of mon-
key fond of climbing up trees," (p. 408). The Yaou or Yew.
The How tsan, (p 408)
Art. VIII. — On the Siliceous Casts of the Echinites /rom the Chalk.
By Edward Charlesworth, F.G.S., &c.
Some curious facts have, at various times, fallen under my
notice, explanatory of the anomalous appearances often pre-
sented by the siliceous casts of the Echini from the chalk,
more especially the genera Ananchytes and Conulus ; and
bearing also upon the history of the occasional silicification
of the shell itself. Were it not for the costly nature of the
engravings necessary to illustrate the subject, I should have
been tempted ere this, in some shape or other, to have placed
my observations on record ; and, without losing sight of this
intention, I now only propose briefly to state some of the in-
ferences I have arrived at. In doing this, however, I by no
means would have it thought that I reserve to myself the ex-
clusive right of entering, on a future occasion, upon the details
' Pronounced also Ko, same meaning as Keo ; Kang he tsze &c.
FROM THE CHALK. 39
connected with the results now indicated. On the contrary,
I should be much gratified if the hints contained in this short
notice, were to form the basis of a thorough examination of
the whole matter, by any one who may have the time at com-
mand, and the necessary materials within reach, for following
up the enquiry.
Circumstances attending the disappearance of the Shell
from the investing siliceous Matrix. — Upon breaking up the
masses of common flint which have been taken from the chalk,
where that substance is quarried for economic purposes, the
contained shells of the Echinites, or the calcareous spar re-
presenting the shell, will be found entire, and agreeing with
the shells which occur in the chalk itself. This, however,
is not the case with the chalk-flints that, at some remote pe-
riod, have been removed from their original site, and sub-
jected to diluvial action. In these latter, the shells of the
Echini have disappeared, the removal being either total or
partial, according to the alteration in character which the in-
terior of the flint exhibits. In the ordinary flint-gravel, as
for example that at Household Heath, near Norwich, the ori-
ginal aspect of the flint is exchanged for a grey or a brownish-
yellow colour, and then the calcareous matter of the included
fossils is entirely gone, and the space which it occupied left
quite free. But in other places, beds of flint may be found
overlying the chalk, in which the change in the original con-
dition of the silex is but slight, and the shells of the Echini
and other fossils are then only partially removed.
Proposed separation of the flint Casts into true and false.
— The internal siliceous moulds of the Echini may be sepa-
rated by readily-appreciable characters, into what I propose to
designate as the true and \he false casts. The false casts are
much more abundant than the true, and are distinguished by
having upon that portion of their surface which corresponds to
the internal face of the ambulacral or perforated plates of the
shell, a series of circular and regularly concave pits. Each
one of these pits corresponds to an ambulacral perforation ;
but it very frequently liappens that the areas occupied by
these hollows respectively encroach upon one another, and
the whole then become merged into so many deep sulci, ex-
tending from the apex of the cast to the base, and indicating
the course of the ambulacra. Another condition, much less
frequent than the last, but exclusively confined to the false
casts, is an abruptly truncate summit, with a surface clearly
showing that the deficiency cannot be explained by an acci-
dental fracture, but rather suggesting the idea of the siliceous
matter having entered at the mouth and vent, (the shell being
40 SILICEOUS CASTS OF ECHINITES
in its natural position,) without rising high enough to fill the
entire cavity.
The true casts principally differ from XhQ false, in present-
ing us with a faithful fac-simile of the internal surface of the
ambulacral plates ; and unless worn smooth by bouldering,
or other causes, the course of the ambulacra is indicated by
rows of short, cylindrical, siliceous processes, which are, in
fact, nothing but the casts of the ambulacral pores ; and the
length of these processes is consequently just that of the
thickness of the original shell. These processes upon the
true casts, conespond to the pits upon the surface of the false
casts.
Now, the presence of the siliceous processes, marking the
course of the ambulacra, is a circumstance that we should
naturally expect, the anomaly consists in this condition being
so generally reversed, — a hollow taking the place of d^ projec-
tion. Every collector of fossils has probably noticed the dif-
ference in the two conditions, but I am not aware that any
attempt has yet been made to explain how the difference
originates. The secret of the matter is simply this : — In the
case of the true casts, the silex has not only filled the
cavity of the shell, but it has also completely enveloped the
shell externally, the Echinus forming as it were, the nucleus
of the flint nodule. In the false casts the siliceous matter
has filled the cavity of the shell, but not surrounded it with
a mass of the same substance. Now in both these instances,
the cavity of the Echinus is entirely filled with silex, and
the difficulty therefore is still unaccounted for ; but if we
take an Echinus filled with, but not surrounded by, flinty
matter, and by an artificial process carefully remove the
shell, it will be found, that a portion of the contained silex
(forming the cast) is in a state of disintegration. Now it
seems, that this process of disintegration always commences
on those portions of the casts which are in the immediate
neighbourhood of the natural openings of the shell, and that
it goes forward to a greater or less extent, without the degree
being regulated by any apparent law * ; but where the Echi-
nus forms the nucleus of a mass of flint, the disintegrating
process takes place ( if at all ) on the surface of the entire
stone, and does not reach the flint within the Echinus ; con-
sequently, the casts formed in this way, present us with an
' I have used the term " disintegrated" silex, in the absence of a more
appropriate designation. That this condition of the silex is an altered one
and not the state in which it was originally deposited, I have in my pos-
session tolerably conclusive evidence.
FROM THE CHALK. 41
exact mould of the cavity of the shell. The Echlnites sim-
ply filled with flint, after being torn from their bed of chalk
by the operation of diluvial currents, are worn away by boul-
dering, and the internal cast becomes exposed ; — the disin-
tegrated silex, (no longer protected by the shelly covering),
then separates from the rest of the mass, leaving the hollows
or deficiencies that I have described. I do not pretend to
explain how the disintegration of the flint originates, or to
define the change in its mineral condition, as that enquiry
forms a distinct subject of investigation.
Partial silicljlcation of the Shell Itself. — The above re-
marks have reference solely to the flint which fills the cavity
of the shell ; but the shell itself is frequently more or less
silicified, in this respect following a general law which ap-
pears to me altogether inexplicable, namely, the shells which
have undergone the greatest amount of silicification, are those
which contain false casts ; it is comparatively rare for the
shells containing true casts, to exhibit any traces of this
process.
The silicifying process appears to commence at a short
distance from the natural openings of the shell, and a beau-
tifully defined siliceous ring having been deposited around
each of the ambulacral perforations, and also around the
mouth and vent, the silicification frequently does not extend
farther. At other times the silex proceeds to invest the se-
creting membrane of the shell, where this membrane dips
between the sutures of the separate plates; and instances
sometimes occur where one third or more of the calcareous
matter is replaced by silex.
Cavity of the Shell not always perfectly filled, — It some-
times happens that the silex does not fill the entire cavity of
the Echinus ; but I believe that when this is the case, it in-
variably lines the whole internal surface of the shell, leaving
a central hollow, the interior of which presents a chalcedonic
or crystallized surface. The nature of this surface therefore
readily shows, whether the deficient part of the mould arises
from the cavity never having been filled, or from the subse-
quent process of disintegration. The occasional imperfect fill-
ing of the cavity of the Echini, is a condition common to
both the true and the false casts.
I have never yet met with an Echinus enveloped exteraally
with flint, having chalk in its interior, a circumstance suffi-
ciently curious to deserve notice.
Distinct Crystals of Calcareous Spar on the internal sur-
face of the Shell. — It is by no means a circumstance of rare
occurrence to find crystals of calcareous spar lining a portion.
Vol. IV.— No. 37, n. s. g
42 MR. town's observations
or even the whole of the internal surface of the chalk Echini.
These crystals are of a pyramidal figure, and each plate of
the shell of the Echinus is occupied by the base of a single
crystal, the size of the crystals being regulated by the size of
the plates, an arrangement depending, I suppose, upon some
law of crystallization with which I am not familiar. Now it
would seem that these crystals existed before the introduction
of the flint into the cavities of the Echinites, as I have had
specimens in my possession in which the crystals are pre-
sent, while the rest of the hollow is occupied by silex.* A
cast formed under these circumstances has a most remarkable
appearance ; for instead of its giving you a mould of the ca-
vity of the shell, it is a mould of the cavity formed by the
crystals which line the shell ; and what renders the appearance
still more puzzling is this, that wherever the silex is in im-
mediate contact with the crystals, the silex itself assumes a
semi-crystalline structure.
If the various points connected with this subject were tho-
roughly investigated, I think it probable that the result of the
enquiry might develope some important suggestions with re-
ference to some of the conditions under which the chalk-
flints were deposited or aggregated. Considered zoologically,
the enquiry is certainly not without interest ; for our know-
ledge of some extinct organisms is drawn from natural moulds ;
and as I have shown that these moulds are sometimes modi-
fied by subsequent causes, all facts tending to elucidate the
nature and possible extent of those modifications, must be
looked upon as a means of guarding us against inferences of
a fallacious nature.
MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY.
JANUARY, 1840.
A Paper has been published in the last number of Guy's Hospital Me-
dical Reports,^ detailing some facts connected with the development of
1 The most characteristic specimen of this kind that I have ever exa-
mined, is in the rich collection of Mr. Fitch, of Norwich.
2 Guy's Hospital Reports, No. 9, October, 1839: edited by G. H.
Barlow, M.A., &c., and J. R Babington, M.A., &c.
ON THE INCUBATED EGG. 43
tlie bird in ovo, which are well worthy the attention of those of our read-
ers who may pursue the subject of Animal Physiology. It appears that
the anatomical modeller to the Hospital, — Mr. Joseph Town, — whose
high talent in his profession has so largely contributed to the celebrity of
the Museum in that establishment, received instructions from the trea-
surer,— Mr. Harrison, — to prepare a series of models illustrative of the
changes which occur in the egg during the period of incubation. Before
however commencing his task, he consulted the works of Sir Everard
Home and other writers, that he might render himself familiar with the
opinions of previous observers, and see how far his own observations would
tally with the views entertained in reference to this subject, by physiolo-
gists of the present day. The result was, that in the very outset of his
undertaking, his attention was drawn to a circumstance which seemed
to oppose the generally-received theory of the decarbonization of the
blood in the embryo, by its contact with the oxygen of the atmosphere ;
and this induced him to institute a series of experiments, which convey
the startling announcement, that the natural development of the contain-
ed embryo goes forward and is perfected without the transmission of at-
mospheric air to arterialize the venous circulation.
The lining membrane of the shell, through which the air was supposed
to pass before reaching the chorion, was remarked by Mr. Town to in-
crease in density, and become apparently less permeable to air, in a ratio
corresponding to the extent of time during which the process of incuba-
tion had gone forward, a condition directly opposed to that which might have
been expected to obtain, assuming the correctness of the above-mention-
ed theory of decarbonization. It then occurred to Mr. Town, that in the
cases in which it had been found that incubation did not go forward
when a barrier was put to the supposed egress of atmospheric air, that a
source of fallacy might have been present, in the employment of a sub-
stance to protect the shell, which, from its noxious qualities had been
fatal to the existence of the contained embryo. Having determined to
satisfy himself on this point, Mr. Town infonus us that he repeated the
experiment in question in the following manner. —
" Having selected a number of fresh eggs, as nearly as I could of the
same size and form, I varnished them over, many times, with albumen,
which had been allowed to stand for some time in an open vessel, until,
by evaporation, it had acquired considerable consistence : this was re-
peated until the shells appeared completely lackered. I then, with a
pencil, marked one of them into equal sections, like the divisions in an
orange, and cut a piece of card to correspond exactly with one of these
divisions ; then a great number of papers similar to this card ; and ma-
44 ON THE INCUBATED EGG.
cerated them for two days in albumen, until they were thoroughly satu-
rated, and so soft and pulpy that I could readily apply them to the egg,
and bring the edges so well together, that the joining was scarcely ob-
servable. After having covered the eggs in this way, and allowed them
to dry, I repeated the papering and varnishing four times ; taking care
to bring the middle of each section opposite the joining in the previous
coating. They were now covered with four thicknesses of paper, satu-
rated as described ; besides very numerous coatings of albumen, used as
a varnish, first on the shell, and subsequently between each layer of pa-
per ; the whole forming a covering so thick and horny, that I felt con-
vinced it was entirely impermeable."
The eggs thus protected were submitted to incubation on the llth of
April, and such of them as were examined during different periods of the
process exhibited the development of the embryo without any deviation
from its normal condition, the chick arriving at maturity in the same
time as when placed under ordinary circumstances. To render the ex-
periment doubly sure, it was afterwards repeated, and attended with a
similar result, though in addition to the covering already described, there
were added several coatings of oil-paint, purposely prepared with the most
noxious materials, as a test of the air-proof nature of the protection used
in the first instance.
Another observation of importance recorded by Mr. Town, is that upon
his removing a large portion of the shell without injury to the chorion,
while circulation wa5 going forward, no visible eflfect was produced on
the blood by the admission of atmospheric air.
" The blood still continued to leave the chick of a livid-red or venous
colour, pass to the chorion, and, after having circulated through that
membrane, was returned to the chick of a bright scarlet ; and this dif-
ference remained perfectly apparent so long as the circulation continued ;
and then, but not until then, the atmosphere appeared to act upon the
blood ; and both arteries and veins became alike bright scarlet, as if
this change were effected by circulating through the chorion, and de-
pended on some principle of vitality."
It appears to us that Mr. Town's first experiment might be advanta-
geously varied by placing the egg in a condition under which the possi-
ble access of atmospheric air would be even still more effectually guarded
against. It might, for instance, protected in the way he has describ-
ed,— be immersed in mercury, — and then subjected, in an hermetically-
sealed vessel, to the temperature under which artificial incubation is
known to be produced. The development of the embryo under these
circumstances, even though the experiments already performed may be
NEW WORKS IN NATURAL HISTORY. '45
thought to have proved enough, would still be a result sufficiently inte-
resting to repay the trouble of the attempt.*
Mr. Town's paper is illustrated by a number of coloured and beauti-
fully executed lithographic drawings, and his observations contain seve-
ral other matters of great interest, but into the details of which we do not
enter ; our object having been rather to point out the channel through
which he has made public his experiments and deductions, than to dis-
cuss the physiological considerations they involve.
The first step has just been taken to establish a Society for the promo-
tion of Natural History by means of microscopical observations, and a
meeting, with that object in view, was held a few days back at the Hor-.
ticultural Society's rooms, in Regent Street. Our own feeling is strongly
opposed to the multiplication of scientific bodies, upon the principle
that one association of the kind, well supported, can do more to promote
the interests of science, than can be efi'ected by the exertions of half a
dozen, when each is restricted to a particular department of research,
and, from that very restriction, probably cramped in its available re-
sources for prosecuting the contemplated purpose of its formation. In
the present instance, however, the proposed institution cannot justly be
regarded as any off-shoot from a parent stock. The nature of the enqui-
ries it contemplates pursuing, is as independent and distinct as the field
which lies before it is boundless ; and if only a reasonable share of sup-
port be proffered it by the cultivators of science, its establishment must
eventually give rise to the happiest results.
The new year opens with a rich promise of additions to our scientific
literature. Messrs. Whitehead and Co. announce for publication an il-
lustrated work upon the history of the entire class Mammalia, in which
all the known species will be described and figured. Having some know-
ledge of the great capital embarked in this undertaking, and entertain-
ing a high opinion of the zoological acquirements of the author — Mr.
Martin, we anticipate in this work a contribution to Natural History of
no ordinary importance. Mr. Bowerbank is ready with the first part of
his history of the Sheppey fossil fruits, — a work which will put the sci-
entific world in possession of the contents of his unique collection, and
the result of many years most diligent research into the history of this
little-known class of organic remains. A wide and comparatively untrod-
* It would of course be necessary that the e^g should have a column
of mercury above it, equal to the ordinary weight of the atmosphere.
46
NEW SPECIES OF SIPHONIA.
den field of philosophical investigation has lately been engaging the at-
tention of Professor Owen, the microscopic structure of the teeth through-
out the Vertebrata generally, but more particularly as developed in
some of the extinct genera among the fishes and Reptilia. Mr. Bail-
liere announces for publication in the month of February, some portion
of Mr. Owen's observations.
British Natural History, in the hands of Mr. Van Voorst, seems to
flourish amazingly. Mr. Newman on the British Ferns, and Mr. Bell
on the British Crustacea, are both about to issue from No. 1, Paternoster
Row, and likewise another work which we announce with no small share
of gratification ; — a History of our indigenous species in the families As-
teriadce and Bchinidce, by Mr. Forbes. Mr. Lowe commits a work, in
active preparation, on the Fishes of Madeira, to the same able superin-
tendance ; and a volume, styled '* The Canadian Naturalist" makes its
appearance from the same quarter. Our own publishers, Messrs. Long-
man and Co., promise an illustrated history of the various breeds of our
domesticated animals, by the celebrated agricultural professor, Mr. Low,
and a revised edition of Turton's Land and Fresh-water Shells, by Mr.
Gray, of the British Museum.
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.
New Species of Siphonia from the Yorkshire
Chalk.— IniheMsig. Nat. Hist, for 1839 (page 10),
it was observed that the numerous specimens of
SpongicB and Siphonice from the chalk in the
neighbourhood of Bridlington, exhibit such vari-
eties of form, that it is difficult, and in some cases
almost impossible, to distinguish the species. —
The Siphonia of which the annexed figure (fig. 2)
is a reduced sketch, is, however, marked by such
distinctive characters, that I have ventured to
consider it as a new species, under the name oi Si-
phonia fusiformis. At the time the account above
referred to was written, I w^as not aware of the ex-
istence of this species ; the specimen from which
the drawing was taken had been received some
time since from Mr. Wilson, the lapidary, of Brid-
lington Quay, and had inadvertently been laid
aside amongst a number of duplicates.
LITTLE BUSTARD. — STERNA AND LARUS. 47
SiPHONiA fusiformis. — Irregularly fusiform, very much elongated, the
summit composed of a cluster of naked tubes.
This species may at once be distinguished by the form of
the crown, and by its great length, which is equal to about
ten times its greatest breadth. The stem, near the root, con-
tains as usual a single canal, which, at the distance of four
inches from the bottom, is divided into four or five ; the num-
ber is encreased on approaching the summit, which is pierced
by about twelve apertures (fig. 3). These canals are neither
so crowded as those of Siphonia clava, nor
so large and distant from each other as
those of Siph. anguilla. The appearance
of the crown is that of a cluster of thick,
solid tubes, but this character is lost at a
short distance from the extreme point. The
annexed sketch, which is drawn of the na-
tural size, will give an idea of the general
appearance of the summit. The length of
the whole specimen is more than fourteen inches.- -Jo/m Ed-
ward Lee.— Hull, Sept. 18, 1839.
Little Bustard Shot in Devonshire. — On Friday, the 15th
of November, a specimen of that very rare bird, the little
bustard, [Tetrax campestris), was killed at Bigbury, in the
south of Devon, which came into my possession the next
day ; this is I believe the second occurrence of this bird in
that county, and it is rather singular, that in the other instance
the bird was bought in Plymouth market in 1804, by my
brother, Wm. Prideaux, and presented to the late Col. Mon-
tagu, and is now in the British Museum ; it was killed in the
north of Devon. — Charles Prideaux. — Hatch Arundel, near
Kingshridge, Devon. — Nov. 22nd, 1839.
Habits ef the different Species of Sterna and Larus. The
sandy island of Mareat is quite covered with salt plants, be-
tween which thousands of sea-birds had built their nests, in
different groups, according to the different species. 1 re-
marked five species that had collected there for the purpose
of hatching their young : Sterna affinis, St. nigra, St. tenui-
rostris, Larus leucophthalmus, and Jmv. Jlavipes. Each
species had occupied a division by itself, in which the several
nests were hardly a foot distant from each other. Tn each
nest of four of the groups there was only one eg^, in a much-
advanced stage of incubation ; in the nests of Sterna nigra
only were there two eggs. The sailors collected a great num-
ber of eggs, every one of which they were obliged to throw
away. It was heart-rending to hear the cries of the disturb-
ed birds, which were so eager to hatch that those which had
48 MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.
lost their own eggy occupied the first nest they could find
with an egg in it. — Riippell : Travels in Abyssinia.
Society for Microscopical Investigation. — A meeting was
held at the house of E. J. Quekett, Esq., Wellclose Square,
Sept. 3rd., 1839, to take into consideration the propriety of
forming a society for the promotion of microscopical investi-
gation, and for the introduction and improvement of the mi-
croscope, as a scientific instrument ; — The following gentle-
men were present : — Rev. J. T. Bean, Rev. J. B. Reade, Dr.
F. Farre, Messrs. Francis, Greening, Jackson, Lister, G. Lod-
diges, C. Loddiges, E. J. Quekett, Rippingham, Ross, R. H.
Solly, C. Varly, N. B. Ward, and A. White. It was "Re-
solved, that such a society should be formed ; that a provi-
sional committee be appointed to carry the resolution into
effect ; and that the said committee do consist of the under-
mentioned gentlemen; — Messrs. Bowerbank, Lister, Loddi-
ges, Quekett, Reade, Solly, and Ward." The provisional
committee, in accordance with the above resolution, having
prepared an outline of a constitution for the society, a meet-
ing was held at the Horticultural Society's rooms, Regent-
street, on Friday evening, the 20th instant. The meeting
was numerously attended. Professor Owen, F.R.S., &c., took
the chair, and was elected president ; after which, the treasu-
rer, N. B. Ward, Esq., the secretary. Dr. A. Farre, and the
council were appointed. The constitution prepared by the
provisional committee was unanimously adopted by the meet-
ing, and the president announced, that the future meetings
of the society would be held in the Horticultural Society's
rooms. The society will be designated the "Microscopical
Society." Its objects are, to promote improvements in the
optical and mechanical construction of microscopes ; the
reading and discussion of papers, upon new and interesting
subjects of microscopical enquiry ; the formation of a col-
lection of rare and valuable microscopical objects ; and of a
library of reference. At the close of the business of the
evening, upwards of fifty gentlemen joined the society. The
terms upon which members are admitted, are one guinea en-
trance, and a yearly subscription to the same amount.
THE MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
FEBRUARY, 1840.
Art/ I. — View of the Fauna of Brazil, anterior to the last Geo-
logical Revolution. By Dr. Lund.
(Continued from Page 8).
The greater proportion of these caves have their entrances so
disposed, that rain-water penetrates into them, either in the
shape of casual or periodical floods, or else in that of con-
stant streams. This water has often no other outlet than
the fissures in the floor of the cave; but it not unfre-
quently pursues its course quite through, and escapes by an-
other aperture. The rain-water necessarily brings with it soil
and organic remains, which it is highly necessary to distin-
guish from the older deposits of the same kind ; and fortu-
nately this is no very difficult point. The dry bed of former
floods is often so distinguishable that it cannot easily escape
notice. A channel, often so deep in the soil as to expose the
rock, and strewed with sand and boulders, admits of no
doubt ; and in it besides are often found shells of recent Mol-
lusca, branches, roots, and leaves of trees, &c.
When this proof is wanting, the condition and contents of
the soil itself will serve to characterize it. Should it be loose
and light, of a grey or black colour; — or if it contain the
slightest trace of vegetable remains, uncarbonized ; — then
there can be no doubt of its recent origin, even in the rare
contingency of our not being able to discover the passage by
which it has entered, which is usually easy enough to per-
ceive. Where these distinguishing marks are all absent, the
determination becomes more difficult. In some caverns I
have seen alluvial deposits in which no trace of vegetable re-
mains could be detected, and which notwithstanding, if they
have not been introduced at late periods by water, have at
Vol. IV.— No. 38. n. s. h
50 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
least been exposed to its influence. The characters most to
be depended on in the latter case, are a very pale dull colour,
approaching to ashen-grey; a greater intermixture of sand
than usual on the surface, with a diminution in the quantity
downwards ; the presence of rolled stones lying loose on the
surface ; the absence of saltpetre, and of the stalagmitic coat-
ing:— these signs are sufficient to prove that rain-water has
gained admission into the caverns, and operated on the soil
therein, though it may not have originally deposited the latter.
Caverns of this description demand the most careful examina-
tion ; for not only might recent bones be covered with soil
deposited by the water in its passage, but also, really ancient
fossils, which had previously lain in the soil, might be washed
out by the same agency, and deposited in places where their
origin and age might easily be mistaken. I have seen exam-
ples of both these cases ; but I must confess that the great
majority of caverns here, present no such difficulties, but in
general have a single opening in the perpendicular, naked
face of a rock, high above the sunounding soil, and most fre-
quently protected by a projecting roof of limestone. A layer
of reddish stalagmite is spread, like a carpet, over the soil of
the cavern, and serves to mark the boundary between the past
and the present. None of nature's devastating forces have
here had place ; all lies undisturbed, and in the same condi-
tion as when deposited by that mighty catastrophe which
closed the curtain over a former world and its inhabitants. —
Such is the theatre to which I wish to introduce the reader ;
for what this mantle covers — what this soil contains, belongs
without exception to that extinct world.
The nature and condition of the fossils themselves often
afford still better means of determining their age. -In by far
the greater number of instances they present the following
appearances. The bones are entire and uninjured, with their
smallest processes and their finest points and edges well pre-
served. Their exterior is of a beautiful reddish ochre-yellow,
and their fractured interior of the purest white. They are much
lighter than recent bones, and so extremely brittle as to crum-
ble to pieces if carelessly handled : they adhere closely to the
tongue : if exposed to the action of fire, they turn black, and
give out, although in a slight degree, a burnt and fetid odour.
A portion of the soil in which they have lain always adheres
to these bones, either in the form of a fine dust or coating, or
as filling up their cavities. When the enveloping soil has been
saturated with lime-water, it adheres so closely to the bone
that it is impossible to separate the two. More rarely the bones,
without losing their uninjured surface, or the pure white co-
k
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 51
lour and osseous structure which they display when broken,
have their cells lined, or sometimes quite tilledj with a stony
substancej and their weight is consequently so much increased
that they appear to be of the same specific gravity as lime-
stone. There is yet a third condition, in which these bones
depart still farther from their original character than in the
two above named ; that is, where the organic structure has
entirely disappeared, and calcareous spar is substituted for the
osseous substance. This alteration, I have satisfied myself,
is owing to the bones having lain long under water.
It will next be my object to point out the mechanical
changes which these fossils have undergone, and which may
be treated of under three classes. First ; splits and frac-
tures in all directions, but for the most part longitudinal,
and not unfrequently accompanied by a more or less evident
compression of the bone. In these cases the interior surface
of the medullary cavity and of the cellular structure, as well
as the sides of the fracture, are of the same reddish yellow
colour as the exterior : and if the soil be impregnated with
calcareous particles, then are these internal surfaces overlaid
with a thin coating of very fine crystals of calcareous spar ;
but they are never filled with earth. Besides, the outer sur-
face being perfectly uninjured, it is ^lear that these bones
have been buried in the soil in a more or less fresh condition,
and that it was only from their increasing brittleness, that in
the course of time they have begun to yield to the continual
superincumbent pressure. To this class also belong those
injuries of which I have spoken in describing the cave of
Maquine. The bones, in that case, were not only split in all
directions, but often quite crushed ; yet in such a manner that
the fragments lay by the side of each other in their natural
position. In the same paper I have shown how this fact, as
well as some others met with in that cavern, can only be ex-
plained by the supposition of effects produced on the animals,
when still clothed with flesh and skin, by vast masses of rock.
The second class of mechanical changes which these bones
have undergone, has been effected by the teeth of predatory
animals. And again, these changes depend partly on the
resistance the bones were calculated to offer, — partly on the
character of the animal that attacked them. Such beasts of
prey as derive a considerable quantity of nutriment from the
bones themselves, and for that purpose are provided with
crushing teeth, like the huge hyaenas of the Old World, the
remains of which are found in European caves, were want-
ing in this part of the globe, and were represented by others,
which have left the records of their existence imprinted in a
52 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
much less destructive form on the relics of their prey. Of
this class I need only remark, that the fragments are scattered
promiscuously together, and are enveloped in, and filled with,
earth. Moreover, they are often gnawed by the teeth of small
animals.
The third kind of mechanical change which these bones
exhibit, is an abrasion of their points and angles, which, in a
former communication, I conceive that I have proved to be
attributable to the action of the water which formerly had ac-
cess to the caves wherein they are found.
In all the cases of which I have hitherto spoken, the bones
have been protected from the action of the atmosphere, either
by their stalagmitic covering, or by lying in water. But
many have not been so favourably circumstanced. Many
have I seen which, from their peculiarly raised position in
the middle of a basin in the floor, have escaped being buried
in the soil ; and these present the most remarkable examples
of the destructive power of time. Their most exposed parts
are mouldered away, and changed into a yellowish dust,
which, by covering the inferior portions, has protected these
from decomposition. In those caverns where water has had
access in later periods, these fossil bones have occasionally
been torn out of their beds, and by the joint operation of water
and air, their decomposition has been so accelerated that they
resemble in appearance half-decomposed recent bones. This
has come under my notice at least once ; and had it not been
for the size of the bones, which indicated a much larger ani-
mal than any mammal now living in this quarter of the globe,
I confess I might have mistaken its age. Such, however, if I
may judge from my own experience, is seldom the case; at
any rate I can assure the Society that the above is the only
instance open to any doubt, among the fossils forming the
subject of this communication ; all the others were found
under circumstances that left not the slightest question as to
their origin.
So much for the circumstances under which these fossils
are found and the changes they have undergone. But before
I proceed to a more accurate description of the animals to
which these remains belong, it will perhaps be advisable to
preface it with a few remarks on those existing species which
frequented or have left their traces in the spots that have af-
forded us so astonishing a catalogue of the creatures of a for-
mer world. /
The first place on this list is due to the family of the bats.
There are few caves which do not harbour at least some in-
dividuals of this family : but to one who has not been an eye-
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 53
witness of the fact, the multitudes in which they are found in
certain caverns, must seem perfectly incredible. There are
caverns, commonly called '' Lappas dos Morcegos," that is,
bat-caverns, which are rendered almost impassable by these
creatures. Their liquid excrement covers considerable sur-
faces of the walls and floor, rendering the latter so slippery
that it is hardly safe to cross it where at all inclined; and
besides, the strong ammoniacal odour exhaled is enough to
stifle the intruder whom science has lured into these murky
labyrinths. I have seen considerable spaces of the roof so
thickly covered with bats, that they appeared matted toge-
ther ; and when disturbed, the universal flutter agitates the
air so much as to extinguish the lights. Nor is it only in the
living state that they are found, but dead or dying they are
also seen hanging from the roof by their hind legs ; while
their remains are strewed over the floor in every stage of de-
composition.
In these caves I have discovered some species of the ge-
nera Phyllostoma, Molossus, Glossophaga, Vespertilio, and
others ; but the most abundant by far is a new geims, which,
from its peculiar dental system, is not only far removed from
the other genera of this family, but even stands alone in the
order Mammalia. Of this very remarkable creature I hope
soon to forward a description and drawings.
As the bats hold the first place among the living inhabit-
ants of these caves, so is it the family of rodents which have
left the greatest number of recent bones there. And as the
bones of the Rodentia form no inconsiderable portion of the
fossil remains ; — and the species of this family at present ex-
isting in these parts being besides very imperfectly known ;
— it will be advisable to offer a short sketch of them : pre-
mising that in their enumeration, as well as in that of all
others that may follow, I strictly confine myself to those
which, either from my own observation, or from the reports of
trustworthy witnesses, I know to be inhabitants of the dis-
trict in which these caverns are situated. *
' Brazil embrace?, witliin its extensive boundaries, great varieties of cli-
mate and other physical conditions. In the southern provinces, most of
the tropical forms, both of animals and vegetables, disappear, and are re-
placed by new ones. There is scarcely less difference observable in com-
paring the interior highlands with the narrow tract which extends along
the coast, and is bounded by a high, wooded, wall of rock. Fortius reason
I have not been able to confine myself to mere political divisions. And be-
sides, as it is an indubitable truth that the extinct animals have in general
lived in the spots where their remains are now found, a geographical com-
parison of existing and extinct animals must necessarily be confined to the
district where the latter occur.
H 3
Ol VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
I naturally place at the head of the rodents the largest yet
known — the Kapivar. It is spread over all the warm parts
of eastern South America, and its amphibious habits partially
protect it from the fate to which it is doomed in consequence
of its depredations on the corn-fields. There is but one known
species of this genus, — the Hydrochoerus Capihara.
The next in size and abundance is the Paca, — Ccelogenys
Paca. This is much prized for its flesh, and its numbers
have in consequence sensibly decreased in many places. Its
colour varies through all shades, from a light yellow-brown
to a black-brown. I confess that I cannot, from my own ex-
perience, affirm a distinction between Coel. fulvus and Ccel.
fuscus ; and the Brazilians, who have a remarkably good eye
for permanent marks of distinction, and who often perceive
specific differences where a naturalist can see only varieties,
are unanimous in recognizing but one species of Paca. The
same is the case with the Gutia [Dasyprocta Aguti), and the
Perea (Cavia Aperea), — the only species of their respective
genera in those parts of Brazil which I have visited. Of the
genus Lepus there is but one species [Lep. Tapeti), of an in-
termediate character between the rabbit and the hare, though
in its habits it agrees best with the latter. There is likewise
but a single species of squirrel (Sciurus (Bstuafis): and finally
the list closes with an animal [Sphiggurus spinosa^ F. Cuv.),
which, from its sluggishness and awkwardness, would ere this
have been nearly extinct, had it not been provided by nature
with a formidable cuirass, by which it is protected fi:om all
its enemies.
Such is the catalogue of the rodents hitherto known and'
described as inhabiting this district ; but the number which
has escaped the observation of naturalists is still greater, and
as they fill a distinguished part in the history of the inhabit-
ants of these caverns, it is important that the reader should
be made acquainted with them.
I begin with the genus Echimys, or spiny rat, of which
there are four species in these parts, all different from those
of Paraguay and Guiana. The largest of them is about the
size of the Perea, while the others are not larger than our
common house-rat. They are nocturnal animals, passing the
day in subterranean holes in the woods, and feeding not only
on frogs, but on insects, the wings and elytra of which are
seen strewn outside their holes. They present several pe-
culiarities in their internal structure ; but on the whole ap-
proach nearest to the porcupine {Hystrix), which they serve
to connect, in many points, with the cavies, and especially
with the genus Dasyprocta ; while in occasional features they
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 55
remind us of the true rats. The commonest species, of
which we shall have occasion to speak more at large hereaf-
ter, is distinguished from the others by a groove or furrow on
the front of the incisors, for which reason I propose to name
it Echimys sulcidens. •
Of the genus Mus I am acquainted with five species, which
all appear different to those described by Azara and Reng-
ger from Paraguay. Two of these infest houses, the three
others keep out in fields and woods. One of the former ap-
pears to me identical with our own house-mouse [Mus mus-
culus), but the other is quite different from our two kinds of
house-rat, Mus decumanus and Mus rattus. I call it for the
present, Mus setosus, on account of the long black bristles
which are scattered here and there over its skin. This spe-
cies was introduced into these parts about the commencement
of the present century ; and it has driven out of the houses a
smaller species, of a pretty chocolate-brown on the back,
chesnut-brown on the sides, and white on the belly, with a
fine short fur, and a short silky tail : the latter species has
become rare, and is now only seen about cultivated fields. —
A fourth and still smaller species frequents gardens : it is of
the same size as our house-mouse, has a large head, with large
hairy ears, and a very short tail. I have named it Mus last-
Otis. But the most remarkable species of this genus lives
only in the woods. I have hitherto been unable to procure a
single specimen in fre§h condition ; but I have found it abun-
dant in the stomachs of the larger diurnal and nocturnal birds
of prey. Its tail is provided with stiff bristles ; on which ac-
count I have given it the temporary name of Mus lasiurus.
After this cursory sketch of the rodents inhabiting this dis-
trict,' I shall proceed to consider them with reference to the
remains which they have left in the caves, in order to explain
thereby some points connected with the history of the fossil
bones in the same places.
I commence with the common Brazilian wood-rat, Mus
lasiurus. I know of very few caves in which remains of this
animal are not found ; and in many they occur in such pro-
digious quantities, as to excite the utmost astonishment. To
convey some idea of this, I will give a brief description of the
first cavern of this kind that I had an opportunity of examin-
ing near Caxoero do Campo. Thie cavern is one hundred and
twenty feet long, from six to nine feet wide, and from thirty
* The Moco (Kerodon rupestre) is not found within the district in which
the caves are situated, although the southern boundary of its habitat is but
a few degrees from that locality.
66 EXTIxNCT FAUNA OF BRAZIL.
to forty feet in height. Its floor, for a distance of twenty feet
from the entrance, was covered with a bed of earth, perfectly
identical with the soil outside, and which had evidently been
washed in by rain water. Farther in, this bed of earth dis-
appeai-ed, and was replaced by a layer of very loose brownish
or black mould, about a foot thick, and completely full of
small bones, more abundant in some places than in others. —
I filled a box, containing about half a cubic foot, with this
mould ; and on my return home counted in it about 2,000
separate rami of the under jaw of Mus lasiurus, and about
400 of Videlphis murinus^ besides a small number of the
jaws of other animals, of which I shall presently speak more
particularly. These bones were for the most part broken :
only the smaller, such as those of the feet, the vertehrce, and
the strongest long bones, being entire. All the skulls, with-
out exception, were fractured, so that a portion of each, par-
ticularly the ossa inter par iet alia, was usually wanting : the
weaker ascending ramus of the under jaw was also generally
absent. The bones were in different states of preservation,
according to the position occupied by them in the bed of
earth ; those lying deepest being brown, brittle, and adhesive
to the tongue, properties which diminished upwards, so that
the uppermost of all were very fresh. Upon the surface of
the earth lay scattered the elytra and legs of beetles.
The extraordinary collection of bones at this place, and
their fractured condition, led me involuntarily to the conclu-
sion, that they must have been introduced by some predatory
animal ; and subsequent examination has taught me to recog-
nize this animal in the common Brazilian owl, Strix perlata.
This owl is met with in abundance in the caverns, where also
I have had frequent .opportunities of examining its nest,
under which I have invariably found a heap of ball-shaped
bodies, from an inch and a half to two inches in diameter. —
These balls consist of tangled hair, intermixed with the above-
mentioned bones ; and are the well-known balls cast up by
all predatory birds after digesting the flesh of their prey. —
They fall asunder in the course of time, when the less dura-
ble portions, such as the hair &c., moulder away, and form
the loose soil before spoken of, in which the bones lie scat-
tered about. I have had frequent opportunities of tracing
the formation of these heaps from their first commencement :
but to remove all possibility of doubt, I kept several species
of owls in my own house, and supplied them with small mam-
mals and birds; and under my own eye they cast up the very
same sort of balls filled with bones, which exhibited exactly
the same marks of injury as those in the caves.
M. RANG ON THE ARGONAUT. 57
With regard to the species to which the bones in the balls
have belonged, I have found the following kinds, and in about
the following proportions. Out of 1000 individuals, Mus la-
5^Mr^/s constitutes 800; Didelphis murmus, 100; EcJnmys
sulcidens, 50 ; small birds, 20 ; bats, 10 ; a smaller species of
Mus, which I consider to be Mus lasiotis, 10; and the re-
maining 10 are composed of the three other species of Echi-
mys, together with some young individuals of rabbit and Perea
in about equal proportions. Unconnected with this heap of
bones are frequently found the remains of the two larger spe-
cies of this family, — the Paca and the Gutia. The numer-
ous foot-prints of the first of these animals, which may be
observed in almost all the caves, prove that it is a constant
visitor at least ; and indeed, in some caverns, where their path
lay over narrow passes, I have seen the limestone quite po-
lished by their feet.
Of the three other species of this family, the Kapivar, the
Sphiggurus and the squirrel, 1 have as yet discovered neither
traces nor remains.
(To he continued).
Art. II. — On the Genus Argonauta. By M. Rang*
( Contifiued from page J 6).
'Let us now turn to the consideration of a fact of more impor-
tance, and which, beyond contradiction, furnishes one of the
strongest arguments apparently at least in favour of parasitisifi.
M. de Blainville very ingeniously makes use of our disco-
very to corroborate the opinion that he advocates ; and it is
with that clearness which runs throughout his demonstrations,
that he here developes his views, which are undoubtedly very
likely to carry us along with him, but which, nevertheless,
rest upon an observation, respecting which we are somewhat
at variance, so that we do not find in this new argument all
the force which at the first glance it appears to possess. The
Professor, admitting our assertion that the poulp of the argo-
naut crawls vvith its tube above, that is to say, according to
his idea, with the ventral part uppermost, remarks that in this
respect the poulp completely differs from the ordinary Octopi
which he has obsers^ed upon the shores of Provence, and par-
ticularly from the Oct. moschatus. These Octopi, he says,
crawl by dragging themselves along the ground, but always
58 M. SANDER RANG
with the tube below, and the dorsal region above ; and he
consequently infers that our argonautic Octopus is in an ano-
malous position, while the Octopi, properly so called, are in
a normal one : from which M. de Blainville deduces a new
proof of the parasitism of the animal.
Without venturing to discuss the validity of this argument,
we will merely observe that if we do not admit it, it is in a
great measure because we are not agreed as to its elements.
We have often seen Octopi out of the water, in the act of
progression ; and a drawing made on the coasts of Provence
by.M. de Blainville himself, and which he very kindly showed
us, appeared in some measure to confirm what we on our part
had observed. The species we have seen is precisely the
same as that which engaged the attention of this naturalist;
we have found it in the same position as he did, but we are
far from affirming that it assumes no other, for we have often
observed the contrary.
The Octopus moschatus is undoubtedly, of all the species,
the one which most readily accommodates itself to this expe-
riment, not only because it is the most common in the nets of
the Mediterranean fishermen, but also because, when out of
the water, it exhibits surprising strength and agility. We
have studied it in the road of Algiers, at the instant when the
fishermen hoisted up their nets, almost always full, upon the
deck of their boats. Escaping through the meshes, these ani-
mals would run about, endeavouring to regain the sea ; and
nothing in fact could be more curious than the motions used
to attain that end. They did not crawl in the manner of
gasteropods, but holding themselves bent double, so that only
their head and the extremity of their sac rested upon the deck,
they seemed to gallop at a great rate, if we may so express
ourselves, enlarging their back or stomach according to their
position ; while their arms, which they carried before them,
or by their sides, had an undulatory or serpentine motion,
and, fixing themselves alternately by their suckers, assisted
the Octopus to draw itself along, while raising itself on its
extremities. What we inferred from this was, that when out
of the water, these invertebrate animals move themselves as
they can, by the power of the arms furnished with suckers,
according to the position in which they find themselves
placed, and according to the vitality remaining in them. This
condition is really an accidental one for them, since by the
nature of their organization, the power of living habitually
out of the water has not been granted to them, and conse-
quently they have not been provided with any particular organ
for terrestrial progression. But their normal state is when
ON, THE ARGONAUT. 59
they are in the water ; it is there only that they enjoy the fa-
culties for action which have been given them ; and in the
water we affirm that they never crawl or progress in the man-
ner above described, any more than that they swim in turning
upon themselves, as has been advanced.
We do not however altogether disallow the force of the ar-
gument advanced by M. de Blainville, and this is the way in
which we understand it. If we suppose that a poulp, from
the nature of its exigences, saad' from its peculiarly pelagian
destiny,- is compelled to have recourse to a shell in which to
lodge itself, and pass the whole or a part of its life, we must
certainly admit, in some of its organs, a particular pre-arrange-
ment or modification. It would, for example, be necessary
that nature should have provided it with organs specially des-
tined to maintain its position within this foreign covering ; —
and such organs we find in the membraniferous arms of the
poulp we are now considering. Thus, when we meet with
an animal surrounded by these peculiarities,- — a mollusc in
this anomalous state, — we may be justified in considering it
to be a parasite, but can we affirm with certainty that it is so?
It is after all but a pjesumption ; and to consider the para-
sitism demonstrated, would perhaps be hardly compatible
with sound logic.
We cannot conclude this portion of our memoir without
remarking that Ferussac, a short time before his death, as we
have just learned, entertained the idea that the membranifer-
ous arms of the poulp of the argonaut were disposed by the
poulp upon the lateral faces of the shell ; this, at least, is
what we found expressed in a letter, written by him to M.
Pretre, requesting from him a new plate for his great work on
the cryptodibranchiate cephalopods, and which letter that
skilful artist very willingly communicated to us. The pas-
sage is as follows. — "In the second phial is a specimen in its
shell (of which also a view must be taken), and having the
large membrane very much spread out with great care over
the shell, in the same position as its arm." Unfortunately,,
neither the animals nor the beautiful drawing made by M.
Pretre are to be found; and the sentence we have just quoted
is all that we possess by Ferussac relating to a subject which
it would have been very interesting to see treated of by him.
Locomotive Faculty of the Argonaut in deep water. — When
in deep water the poulp of the argonaut swims in the same
manner as other cryptodibranchial cephalopods, — by the re-
jection of the water introduced into the sac by means of a
tube situated opposite to the anus. Such is the third obser-
60 M. SANDER RANG
valion we have made ; it evidently tends to restore this poulp
to the normal state of the other cephalopods, from which it
has been so strangely separated ; — it destroys the fabulous
notions of the navigation of the argonaut ; — it explains why it
is necessary that this poulp should have two palmated arms
to retain its shell ; — and finally, it overturns the argument
drawn from the divergence of opinions as to the manner in
which the poulp swims on the surface of the water, and on
which was founded the statement that the parasitic inhabit-
ant of the argonaut was not always a poulp with palmated
arms, or else that it did not always place itself in the same
relation to the shell.
Locomotive Faculty of the Poulp of the Argonaut at the
hottom of the Sea. — The observation we have just made, and
the description we gave at the commencement of this memoir
of the manner in which the poulp of the argonaut crawls along
the bottom of the sea, constitute a fact which is quite new,
and which seems not to have been previously observed. It is
nevertheless but just to state that it had already been pointed
out ; for Rumphius long ago said that this mollusc walked at
the bottom of the sea by the aid of its arms, and with the keel
of its shell uppermost. AVe then merely give a more detailed
confirmation of his observation. It naturally follows from
what we have said on this subject, that these poulps do not
always carry themselves with their ventral part beneath, but
fi*equently also with it above.
This observation weakens still more the opinion of those
naturalists who suppose that the palmated arms are turned to
the side of the anterior part of the shell, and of those who
think that the mollusc places itself indifferently either one
way or the other ; and draw fi:om thence an argument for its
non-parasitism. And finally, it also restores the poulp to a
more normal state than that which had been assigned to it.
Will not this peculiar mode of reptation at the bottom of
the sea explain why the poulp in question, supposing it to be
the real constructor of the shell, should preserve a space at
the end, instead of filling the forsaken part with a solid de-
posit, like the Magilus, or forming partitions there, like
the Nautilus ? May it not be for the puipose of preserving
a reservoir of air, in order to facilitate its rapid and vertical
ascent to the surface of the water ? Rumphius, who was a
close observer, as we have just shown, seems to confirm this
idea, when, in referring to this mollusc, he remarks that it
also re-ascends in a reversed position ; that is, with its head
below and the keel of its shell above. In fact, is it not evi-
dently for the purpose of retaining the air compressed by it
ON THE ARGONAUT. (51
into the bottom of the shell, that the poulp thus holds itself
upside down during its ascension ? If, on the contrary, it
ascended with the keel downwards, this air could not fail 'to
escape, and it would .then be necessary for the animal to use
its organs of " refoulement" to remedy this loss. This remark
will perhaps appear strange to some persons ; but it is cer-
tain that many of the Molhisca and Acalepha ascend on this
principle : and we have many times seen them leave at the
surface of the sea, the bubble of air which they had undoubt-
ly obtained at the bottom by means of some peculiar faculty.
Examination of the arguments which have been presented
in favour of one or the other opinion. — M. de Blainville, in
his interesting letter, has advanced a series of arguments in
favour of parasitism, to the greater part of which our preced-
ing observations apply. But there are some still remaining,
to which we have objections to oppose; such as, for exam-
ple, his fourth argument, which is drawn from the absence of
organic attachment between the shell and the animal, a cir-
cumstance tending to indicate that the two are foreign to each
other.
We quite agree with those naturalists who recognise this
want of attachment ; in fact there is no other connection be-
tween the shell and the animal, than that of contact, and this
argument has always been regarded as one of the most valid :
we can, how^ever, meet it by another, namely, that the true
constructor of the shell, supposing it not to be the poulp, did
not adhere to it either ; since, contrary to what we observe in
other shells, there are upon the argonaut no traces of attach-
ment, or, in fact, of any muscular impression. This remark,
moreover, is not our own ; it was made to us by Cuvier ten
years ago, in a conversation with him on this subject.
To this observation it has sometimes been objected, that
the argonaut is evidently an internal shell. We confess that
we should have some difficulty in picturing to ourselves an
internal shell of this description, — so ^^enroulee", so symme-
trical and diaphanous, and possessing ribs and tubercles, and,
in short, so little analogous to all internal shells, whatever
may be the order of Molhisca to which they belong.
An attempt has also been made to approximate this shell
to the genus Atlanta, which attempt rests upon some recital
of an inhabitant of the island of Amboina, of which however
we have nothing but a completely anecdotal report. But in
the genus Atlanta the animal is united to the shell by a very
evident attachment, and upon the whole there exists no rela-
tion between the argonauts to the Atlanta on the one hand, or
to the Carinaria on the other ; for these two nucleobranchiate
62 M. SANDER RANG
genera constantly possess a simple and central keel, which
the argonauts do not. And again, as we have long since
shown, the Atlanta and Carinaria are not all symmetrical in
form, while, on the contrary, all the argonauts are so.
In order to prove that the argonaut is inhabited by another
mollusc, besides the membraniferous-armed poulp, a beauti-
ful specimen of this shell, in the possession of M. de Roissy
has been quoted, in which, by means of an accidental frac-
ture, a torn fragment fixed to the internal wall may distinctly
be perceived. We have not seen this shell, but from what
M. de Roissy himself has told us of it, we do not think that
an argument of any great weight can be drawn from this cir-
cumstance. Are not parasites, such as the Ascidiw, Anati-
Jerce, and Actinice for instance, often found (as we ourselves
have seen) fixed to forsaken shells ? And might they not
leave fragments of their base attached.? The argonaut of M.
de Roissy perhaps offers an example of this kind ; there is
nothing to prove the contrary.
The fifth argument of M. de Blainville tends to demonstrate
that the form of the animal has no true correspondence with
that of the shell. We shall not return to this subject; for to
establish this correspondence is exactly what we endeavoured
to do towards the commencement of this memoir, and we find
it still greater, now that we know the use of the membranifer-
ous arms.
In his ninth argument M. de Blainville expresses himself
thus. — "The animal may be drawn out of its shell apparently
without feeling any inconvenience, and without suspending
its movements ; as Cranch has proved positively by experi-
ment." Nothing is so embarrassing as. to have to refute an
argument, based upon what a person highly worthy of credit
says he has seen. We have over and over again observ^ed
exactly the contrary. One may combat an opinion ; but in
conscience one cannot tell an observer who professes to have
seen a thing, — "You have not seen it! \' although one may
feel certain that it never could have been so. We shall there-
fore omit the consideration of Cranch and his poulp, and
merely recall what we said in detailing our own observations
upon the one that was on the point of expiring, and which,
weakened, and scarcely retaining any life, had contracted its
membraniferous arms, and being no longer able to hold its
shell, was accidentally separated from it. We made the
same observation many years ago, upon the particular species
spoken of by Cranch, but with less of detail, because we did
not then know the use of the large arms ; and also at a later
period, at the Cape of Good Hope; and lastly, we have stu-
ON THE ARGONAUT. 63
died the facts we relate in this memoir, at Algiers. We de-
clare that we have never seen the poulp voluntarily quit its
shell ; and that it was only when deprived by weakness of
the power of adhering to it by means of the organs which
nature had given it for this purpose, that it was separated from
it by a fortuitous circumstance, and one that was quite inde-
pendent of its will. And if, in this case, the poulp resumed
an appearance of activity, it was only to expend all its re-
maining strength in one effort, and expire almost immediately.
We shall say nothing further on this subject; for reasoning,
in this case, can do no more, and subsequent experience only
can show the weight of these arguments. On this ground we
earnestly entreat those who may have opportunities of study-
ing the poulp of the argonaut in its shell, to multiply their
experiments on this fact as much as possible, and carefully
to record all they witness,
If we have found ourselves under the necessity of combat-
ing many arguments in favour of parasitism, we have also had
occasion to attack some of those put forward by the partisans
of non-parasitism. W^e have already extinguished several of
these, in opposing to them the use and position of the large
arms ; as, for example, we showed that these arms were not
directed towards the interior of the shell, on each side of the
keel, to form the tubercles. *
We have also done away with the arguments founded on a
pretended observation, that the animal, when drawn out of
the shell, exhibits upon its mantle the entire form of that
shell, and the impression of the furrows and tubercles with
which it is ornamented. But there is a more important fact
which ought to detain us a moment, since it has been for
some time advanced with great success, and yet it must now
fall to the ground. This will doubtless be the case with ma-
ny other arguments — fruits of an active imagination — ^to which
too much attention has hitherto been paid, but which perhaps
only await a simple observation, conscientiously made upon
the animal when full of life and at liberty, to be completely
nullified. The nature of this tact we will now explain. The
partisans of non-parasitism thought that the best method of
solving the problem, was, to assure themselves whether the
rudiments of the shell of the membraniferous-armed poulp
were to be found in the ova of the animal. I'his investiga-
tion might be decisive. Many naturalists, relying solely upon
it, soon exclaimed, " the question is decided, for the shell is
there ! " It was a truly eminent anatomist, whose reputation
extends throughout Europe, who first uttered the cry of vic-
tory, which was immediately enregistered in a host of publi-
64 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
cations, all relating the marvels of this observation, and all
bringing forward the determination of the skilful Italian, as
beyond appeal. Nevertheless, many other naturalists of ac-
knowledged talent, and we must quote M. de Blainville as
among the first, would not allow themselves to be convinced
by hearsay, but wished to verify the fact ; but neither M. de
Blainville, nor Sir Everard Home, nor M, Bauer, saw what
had been announced. Still further, Madame Power, a disci-
ple of the celebrated Poli, of whom we have already spoken
in reference to her striking observations upon the poulp of
the argonaut, and who is one of the most enlightened defend-
ers of non-parasitism, now gives a formal contradiction to her
master, declaring that there is no appearance of a shell in the
ova of the poulp ; and she then concocts a very ingenious lit-
tle system, which can however do no prejudice to the cause
of non-parasitism, and shows how the shell may be formed
after the birth of the mollusc.
As for ourselves, we also have been very curious to verify
Poli's observations. AVe have tried at different times, some-
times upon eggs which were preserved in alcohol, sometimes
upon those we had taken quite fresh from the sea, and which
had, without doubt, arrived at di fferent degrees of maturity ;
and after all we never found anything but the nucleus which
may be observed in eggs in general.
Thus the strongest argument brought forward by the parti-
sans of non-parasitism, must evidently give way before these
reiterated observations.
( To he continued).
Art. III. — Notes on Irish JVatural History, more especially Ferns.
By Edward Newman, Esq., F.L.S., &c.
{Continued from -page 23.)
KiLKEE stands in a little semicircular bay, which, having a
bar of rock across its mouth, affords no shelter for shipping ;
indeed, nothing can be more forbidding to the seaman than
the west coast of Clare, From the Hag's Head or Mohir on
the north, to Louphead on the south, it consists of black,
precipitous, slate cliffs, against which the restless Atlantic
frets itself into a perpetual foam. The whole line of coast,
in extent about forty miles, is called Malbay ; and through-
out the entire distance there is not a single place of safety for
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 65
shipping, and scarcely a creek to afford a doubtful and tem-
porary shelter in extreme dislvess. The cliff is worn by the
ocean into forms more wonderfully grotesque, and oft-times
more strikingly picturesque, than the most vivid imagination
could devise. Here a peninsula of rock stands boldly out to
sea, and the isthmus which connects it with the land has for
centuries lost its basement, and only exists as abridge, hang-
ing as it were by magic over the dark waters, which meet and
strive, with thundering din, hundreds of feet below its aerial
span ; — there, an enormous cleft in "the face of the cliff, riven
as by an earthquake, forms a wedge-shaped chasm, into which
the vast waves gambol one after another like huge leviathans,
playing a thousand antics, and sending the "playful spray"
aloft, to be borne on the wings of the wind. Then comes
some vast cavern, with vaulted roof and gigantic columns,
divided maybe into a hundred minor caves, in some of which
a ship might float with every stick standing; and from these
caves there issues such a reverberation of the roar of waters,
that thunder might mutter its loudest and remain unheard.
1 took the southern cliff from Kilkee, and skirted along its
extreme margin as best I could. Where it was broken and
uneven, and I could accomplish it with safety, I descended
the cliff as far as practicable ; I often found the crevices fdled
with Asplenium inarinum, Aster Tripoliimi, Silene rnaritima,
Arenaria marina, &c. &c. Nothing could exceed the auda-
city of the gulls while I was clambering about these .cliffs :
some of them came so near me that I could have touched
them with a whip, and their screaming was fearful. There
were also flying around me curlews, hawks, and choughs ;
— the curlews whistling, the hawks screeching, and the
choughs chattering; but the gulls were the most noisy and
numerous of alL On the top of the cliff is a short close herbage,
of that kind which in England we call good sheep-walk ; and
on this, and the turf walls which separated it, were rooks,
carrion crows, hooded crows, ravens, magpies, and choughs
innumerable ; the latter bird predominating in number over
all the others of the crow family. Further along the coast I
saw a settlement of sea-birds ; puffins, guillemots, rasor-bills
and corvorants, intermixed with the eternal sea-gulls : and I
saw three large birds which I supposed to be the great north-
ern diver; they sat up like penguins, on a rock that just
peeped out of the water, and was now and then covered by
the swell ; this sometimes carried off one or two of the divers,
but they almost instantly returned and resumed their station.
The distance from the top of the cliff to the water will, I think,
afford an excuse for my inability to name the species.
Vol. IV.— No. 38, n. s. i
OC NOTES ON IRISH NATURx\L HISTORY.
lliese cliifs afford perfect security for eagles and hawks,
and I have little doubt that very large numbers are annually
bred here, as well as gulls, corvorants, and other aquatic birds.
With regard to the gulls, I could make out but little as to
species ; there were two of very different sizes, but nearly
alike in colour, which I supposed to be the greater and lesser
black-backed ; and occasionally a little covey of four or five
individuals of Lestris would make their appearance, but these
always seemed passing on, as though bent on other business,
while the whiter gulls appeared to have no other amusement
than screaming round my head ; I never was so insulted ;
they swept round and round in semicircles, fanning me
with their wings every time they approached : I longed for a
gun, just to have given them an admonisher. Proceeding far-
ther along the cliff, I found a man and boy fishing with lines
400 feet in length. The hook was baited with the inside of
a crab, and a stone was tied near the extremity of the line,
and being thrown into the sea carried the line with it, which
otherwise could not have been persuaded to make the de-
scent. I waited some time, but to no purpose, in the hope
of seeing a fish hauled up ; and I was equally unsuccessful
in learning what kind of fish were taken in this way, for as
neither party understood a word that the other said, it might
be called on my part, " the pursuit of knowledge under diffi-
culties." Shortly afterwards I saw a single rock dove [Co-
Iwnha Livia) fly to the cliff, and apparently enter a hole ; it
was closely pursued by a kestrel, which continued sailing
backwards and forwards along the cliff, until I left the spot. I
ascended a hill to examine what appeared a most singular ruin :
on reaching this I found it was only a Napoleon-tower, with a
small portion rearing its head high over the shapeless mass
of ruins which surrounded it. The view from this tower is
magnificent ; you can see nearly two hundred miles of coast,
so ruggedly rocky, so curiously indented, and so intermixed
with sea, that it requires a tolerable degi'ee of map-knowledge
to understand the objects you are beholding.
The high promontory on which this tower stands, termi-
nates in Cape Lean, or, as it is usually termed, Loop-head.
After enjoying the splendid panorama to my heart's content,
I turned southward, and soon falling in with a road or track,
returned to Kilkee. The ferns of this promontory are Las-
trcBa Filix-mas, rare; Las. dilatata^ abundant; Athyrium
Filix-fcemina, abundant ; Pleris aquilina, sparingly ; Os-
tnunda regalis, abundant ; T.omaria spica7it, not frequent ;
Asplenium marimimy abundant. The population is very
great in the neighbourhood of Kilkee and Kilrush ; the cabin*
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 67
are thickly sprinkled over the whole surface of the country,
except along the high cliffs by the sea. There was a great
deal of oats, wheat, rye, and potatoes, in small patches at-
tached to the cabins ; the wheat and rye in ear, the oats back-
ward, and potatoes not looking vigorous, the ground being
very conspicuous between the rows.
Having crossed the estuary of the Shannon, I landed at
Tarbert, and proceeded by car to Listhowel over a flat, unin-
teresting, and unprofitable bog. Ballinruddery, the seat of
the Knight of Kerry, is to the left of the road, and the fine
wood of his demesne is the most pleasing object throughout
the journey, and is again seen to great advantage from the
bridge over the Feale, on leaving Listhowel for Tralee. The
bog appears to present no impediment to cultivation, and
why it is left in its present state is unaccountable.
Leaving Listhowel the country continues for the most part
flat, and generally cultivated, but in a wretched manner.
Where the bog remained in its native state, it seemed to
be rather left for the sake of cutting turfs for burning, than
from any impediment it offered to the cultivator. The face
of the country abounds in ruins, some of them very fine ; and
a round tower of considerable height is visible to the right of
the road for nearly two hours. The road passes over the
shoulder of the Stack Hills, and then the view of the town
and bay of Tralee, with the fine hills beyond, bursts on the
traveller with great beauty. The principal ferns were Las-
ircea dilatata, Osmunda regalia, and near Tralee Scolopen-
drium vulgare and Polystichum aculeatum ; and choughs
and hooded crows the commonest birds.
Leaving Tralee I ascended the hill south of the town, and
was delighted to find a lovely little plant which I had never
before seen growing, — Sibtliorpia eiiropma. On the hilly
land in Ireland you find deep and naiTow channels cut by
torrents of rain water after heavy showers, but, except imme-
diately after rain, perfectly dry. Spread over the banks, and
pendant in graceful festoons from the grassy margins of these
channels, I found the SihtJiorpia in the greatest profusion. —
With a degree of greediness equal to that of the sailor who
loaded his boat "with plunder from a wreck, till the boat and
the thief went down together, I cut up masses of soil covered
with this pretty plant, till 1 found myself quite unable to carry
them, and was compelled to relinquish them one after ano-
ther, and retained but a solitary specimen. I here found also,
in the greatest abundance, the dumetorum variety of LastrcBa
dilatata, and furnished myself with a good supply of roots :
my first package of this plant, forwarded from Newport and
r>8 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
consigned to Mr. Ward, had never reached him, and I was
particularly desirous of sending a second supply. On this
high ground few other ferns made their appearance ; some
feeble plants of Osmuncla, and an occasional F'dix-foemina
or Filix-mas, with plenty of Lomarla spicant^ were all that
I observed. The heaths, as everywhere else in Ireland, were
beautiful : the bells of Erica Tetralix were larger, and of a
brighter and more varied colour than I have ever seen them
in England.
How my heart leaped within me when I peeped over these
Tralee hills ! When, after an ascent of five hours, I saw the
Reeks, Tomies, Carran Tual, Mangertoii, Glena, and Turk, —
names familiar as household words, — and, while their dark,
empui'pled, cloudless summits were relieved against a sky
of the purest blue, w^atched the snow-white clouds drifting
amongst them, passing in front of one huge peak and behind
another ! I instantly singled out Carran Tual as the highest
land I had seen in Ireland, but I knew nothing of the others,
and contented myself with admiring the beauty of the group,
without making any attempt to ascertain the names of indi-
viduals.
On leaving Tralee I had determined on staying that night
at Cloghereen, and had entrusted my knapsack to the care of
tw^o gentlemen w^ho w^ere going there in the afternoon by the
mail-car ; had it not been for this, I believe I should have
made for " the Reeks" at once, bent my course southward to
Kenmare, and missed the lakes of Killamey, the mob of
guides, and Trichomanes speciosum. It was a long struggle,
but the knapsack and Trichomanes gained the day, and I
began to descend the hill towards the most celebrated of all
touring localities, with anything but anticipations of pleasure,
for I really hate touring-places, and touring people, and tour-
ing guides : however, I resolved to face it, and so forthwith
put myself in order to see the lions of Killarney. Having
made up my mind I began to descend from the heights, and
it was really a fine walk ; the beautiful mass of Kerry hills
shut out the horizon, and that dark, grove-like, mountain-
locked basin at their feet, contained the lakes which were
weekly visited by hundreds of felicity-hunters. Throughout
the walk I found abundance of the dumetorifw variety of
Lastr<Ba, dilatata, and many other forms of the same plant,
but I could not quite satisfy myself that they merged in one
another. Osmmida regalis, not abundant ; Pteris, still less
common ; Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, As^jI. Ruta-mura-
ria, and Aspl. Trichomanes^ on walls and ruins ; and, ap-
proaching Killarney, Polystichum acnleatiim^ Lastrcea Filix
NOTILS ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 69
mas, and Athyrium Filix-foemitia, in the greatest abundance.
When you approach Killarney you find yourself shut in
between enormous stone walls, which totally preclude the
possibility of seeing anything of the scenery. These walls
occur on all the roads in the neighbourhood, and make them
anything but picturesque ; and Killarney itself is a large, dull
and dirty town, and one which a traveller w^ould never sus-
pect was situated amidst the most celebrated scenery in the
British dominions.
Cloghereen, an hour's walk beyond Killarney, is merely a
dozen houses, the best of which is an inn. Almost opposite
to the inn is an entrance to the demesne of Muckruss, and
the old abbey is within ten minutes' walk. The abbey is a
very beautiful object ; it is in excellent preservation, the roof
alone being wanting, and the walls are covered with a dra-
pery of ferns, among which Scolopendrium vulgare is the
most abundant and conspicuous ; it is surrounded by fine fo-
rest trees of the most beautiful growth : here also was the
Arbutus Unedo growing in a state of nature, mingled with
holly and yew, and forming the most beautiful natural shrub-
bery I have ever beheld. The rocky ground below was car-
peted with mosses, intermixed with the most luxuriant tufts
of Scolopendrium vulgare, which here assumes a character
I had never before seen ; ten or twenty very long fronds ema-
nate from a common centre, and each is bent in a graceful
semicircle. Here also Polypodium vulgare grows to an im-
mense size, and runs into those luxuriant excesses in which
the pinned become again divided, and its normal form is alto-
gether lost : and here Hypericum calycinum grows with all
the vigour of a native plant, and, if introduced, as some bo-
tanists assert, it has made its footing so secure that I much
doubt the ability of man to eradicate it. Passing through
this little paradise you stand on the bank of Lough Lane, the
largest and most beautiful of the lakes of Killarney. A boat,
with rowers, steersman, arid bugleman was in waiting, and in
a few minutes T was floating over its placid waters, the wood-
ed heights of Glena and the purple summit of Tomies rising
immediately before md.
Lough Lane covers an area of 5,000 English acres, and
contains twenty-four named islands ; the largest of these, —
Koss Island, — contains 150 English acres, and is laid out in
a tasty manner by its proprietor. Lord Kenmare, who allows
all visitors to land, and wander about its beautiful shrubber-
ies jiist as they please. Ross Castle, on this island, is a fine
old building covered with ivy, and the visitor is expected to
ascend to its summit, from whence the view is very beautiful.
I 3
70 NOTES ON IKISH NATURAL HISTORY.
The mixture of the foliage of holly, arbutus, and yew, with
the rugged moss- or lichen-stained rocks, is different from
what one sees elsewhere. Embarking again, the boat coasted
along Ross Island, the bugleman extracting some fine echoes
from the ivied walls of the old castle, the wild ducks continu-
ally flying off the water before us, and circling high above us
in the air, and dozens of corvorants, squatted on their tails,
watching our movements from the naked little rocks which
just peep above the surface of the water. We passed between
the islands of Ross and Jnnisfallen, and either my vision had
been long unaccustomed to trees, or those on Innisfallen, par-
ticularly the ash and holly, were unusually majestic in size
and beautiful in figure. Indeed it looked like a fairy island
raised by magic out of the placid water ; and I cannot much
wonder at the strange legends of O'Donohue and his milk-
white steed, which are so implicitly believed, that an Irish
maiden fell in love with the imaginary chieftain, and actually
plunged into the crystal waters of Lough Lane, in hopes that
after death, her spirit might meet with his ; this tale sug-
gested one of Moore's sweetest melodies. —
" Of all the fair months that round the sun, &c."
But the wooded heights of Tomies are paying back the
notes of Gandsey's bugle ; so —
" Sweet Innisfallen, fare thee well !
And long may light around thee smile
As soft as on that ev'ning fell
When first I saw thy fairy isle !
Thou wert too lovely then for one
Who had to turn to paths of care ;
Who had through vulgar crowds to run
And leave thee bright and silent there."
Landing again where the huge buttresses of Tomies moun-
tain, densely covered with birch, oak, arbutus, holly, and yew,
come down to the edge of the lake, I made my way to O'Sul-
livan's cascade, in hopes of finding on its shady and moss-
covered rocks the rare Trichomanes, but I was disappointed.
Abundance of Hymenophyllum, intermixed with luxuriant
mosses, covered every stone ; and the most graceful form of
Lastroia dilatata waved its feathery fronds from every crevice
where it could find a footing, and every plant had its pin-
nules crisped and concave, giving it that appearance which
Mr. Babington has elsewhere noticed. Here I will take leave
of the lake for a short time, and ascend the mountains.
The mountains of this district appear to be divided into
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 71
three principal ranges, and certainly possess, beyond all com-
parison, {he most elevated points in the island. The first of
these ranges is considerably to the west of Lough Lane ; it
extends almost to Cahirsiveen in Dingle Bay, and is called
Macgillicuddy's Reeks ; Carran Tual, the highest point of
these, being 3,400 feet above the level of the sea. The se-
cond range is also to the west of the lakes, and immediately
between them and the Reeks, being separated from the latter
by an opening called the Gap of Dunloe ; this range is called
the Tomies, and includes the Purple Mountain and Glena. —
The third range is to the south-east of the lakes, and is usu-
ally denominated the Turk Range ; its highest points are
Mangerton and Turk. On all these mountains that rare and
beautiful animal, the red deer, exists in his native freedom ;
and is said to feed on a species of lichen which is here very
abundant. I was told that on Turk herds of several hundreds
were occasionally seen. It is thought strange that this fine
animal will not breed in parks and enclosures ; but when we
recollect that in a state of nature he only frequents the sum-
mits of the barest mountains, and possesses unbounded free-
dom ; — that restraint to him is like the chain to the eagle, an
indignity his proud heart cannot brook; — that in confine-
ment he becomes fretful, impatient, and savage; — we can
scarcely wonder that he fails to propagate his kind, and lives
always hating and generally hated by the creatures wi.h
whom he may chance to come in contact. Very great pains
have been taken in Kerry to preserve the red deer, but it is
found that their numbers are fast decreasing. Lord Bantry
has paid great attention to them at his seat on Bantry Bay,
where everything has been done to secure them from moles-
tation ; but for some years not a single fawn has been ob-
served. I saw a noble stag on his lordship's estate, a few
days after leav ing Killarney ; it was at some distance, and I
at first took it for a bay horse quietly browzing on the moun-
tain-side. The horns and heads of red deer which adorn
Lord Ban try's residence, would furnish half the museums in
the kingdom. A head, placed over the entrance, is consider-
ably larger than that of a donkey ; which would imply the
possession of a body nearly twice as large as that of the quad-
ruped from Jerusalem. Several of the noblemen and gentle-
men round Killarney have attempted to rear the red deer in
their enclosures, by taking them when very young; but it is
next to impossible to effect the capture of a fawn, without
doing it some mortal injury : a heavy blow with a stick or a
stone will so injure one of the delicate little creatures, that it
frequently dies in consequence of the wound. Still, however,
7-2 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
several instances have occurred, in which fawns have been
secured without injury, and if they survive the period of suck-
ing, they are sure to do well, although never sufficiently re-
conciled to captivity to encrease their kind.
It was through the Gap of Dunloe that I now took my
course, having heard its sublimity mightily extolled, but I
cannot say I think it would pay for the trouble of exploring,
unless to those who are unacquainted with the wilder parts
of Wales and Scotland ; for the pass is thronged with guides,
and it is a sheer impossibility to address a single observation
to a companion, without receiving a reply from at least half
a dozen of these familiar Milesians. At the top of the Gap
I rested awhile in the cottage of the celebrated Kate Kearney,
and from her own hand I received the cup of poteen and goat's
milk, — a very comforting mixture. After reaching the sum-
mit of the gap I turned to the left, and seeing below me the
cottage at the end of the upper lake, I abandoned the path,
and pursued my way towards the lake in a tolerably di-
rect line, over the trackless waste. All over the side of the
mountain VirKjuicula grandiflora occurs in great abundance :
its flowers were generally gone, but some were even yet re-
maining, and struck me as very beautiful. I believe botanists
do not agree as to the value of this species, but to me it ap-
peared distinct : [ should however mention that not having
the commoner species [Ping, vulgaris) at hand, I had no op-
portunity of comparing them.
At the extremity of the upper lake a boat was in waiting,
and I once more embarked. The upper lake looks small
compared with Lough Lane, but is said to cover an area of
1000 English acres : the little rocky islets rising from it are
very beautiful. Leaving this lake the rowers entered a.rapid
river connecting it with Loughs Lane and Turk, and ha\^ng
reached a fine bold cliff called "the Eagle's Nest," pulled to
the opposite shore, and we landed in order to hear to greater
advantage the extraordinary echo for which this spot has long
been famous. A tune played by the bugleman standing op-
posite the cliff, has the effect of a duet. Whether it be pos-
sible to produce a duet by merely causing a repetition of a
Jirst, I must leave the scientific to decide, but so it appeared
to me. Indeed the echoes in many parts of these lakes seem
perfectly magical. But I am forgetting the ferns. After
leaving the Eagle's Nest, Onmunda regalia completely fringes
the banks of the river between the lakes, and forms a pro-
minent feature in this most lovely scenery. So.alifered is the
usual character of this fern, that its long fronds arch grace-
fully over, and dip their masses of seed in the crystal water ;
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 73
while the saucy coots, from beneath the canopy it affords
them, gaze fearlessly on the visitors who are continually pass-
ing by. One of the boatmen employed by Sir Walter Scott,
on the occasion of his visit to Killarney, told me that Sir Wal-
ter uttered scarcely a syllable in praise of the scenery, until
he came to this spot ; and here he stopped the rowers, and
exclaimed, " This is worth coming to see ! " The boatman
evidently thought very meanly of Sir Walter's opinion, whom
he considered in duty bound to be in raptures with the lakes
and mountains. I do not wonder at the great man's taste :
to me it was the most wonderfully beautiful spot I had ever
beheld, and this beauty is mainly owing to the immense size
and number of these pendant fronds. I now approached
Dinas Island, on which, I believe, stand some of the largest
arbutus trees in the world. The stem of one of them is seven
feet in circumference, and its height is equal to that of an ash
tree of the same girth which stands near it. There are seve-
ral others closely approaching this in size. The arbutus, in
a state of nature, possesses but a distant resemblance to the
trim, formal, bush-like figure which it assumes in cultivation.
The branches are very long, gnarled, crooked, and naked to
the extremity, where they are crowned with bright green
leaves. They seem particularly fond of the fissures of rock,
and, like the holly and yew, with which they are ever inter-
mixed, flourish most where there is least appearance of soil
to support them.
In this river-scenery the silvery stem and feathery foliage
of the birch, and the picturesque figure of the oak and ash,
are not to be overlooked ; nor should the white water-lilies,
floating on the stream, nor the multitudes of mosses, nor the
rich bells of Erica cinerea, be passed by without a notice. —
Passing to the left of Dinas Island, the rowers pulled into
Turk Lake, a beautiful sheet of water occupying an area of
rather more than 1000 acres, with scarcely an island to inter-
rupt the uniformity of its surface. On the right, the woods
of Turk Mountain come down to the water's edge. This fine
lake is separated from Lough Lane by a narrow strip or neck
of land, and through this is a small opening, over which is
thrown a bridge, called " Brickeen Bridge." We passed un-
der the bridge into Lough Lane, and steering to the right,
the rowers rested on their oars in the cove of Glena. Here
is a cottage belonging to Lady Kenmare, and its tasty archi-
tecture, its beautiful flowers, its green lawns, its sweet ac-
companiments of wood, rock, and water, — render it a spot of
uncommon loveliness. From this little cove the boatmen
pulled across to Muckruss, passing O'Donohue's horse. This
74 NOTKS ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
curious rock has so precisely the appearance of a huge horse
standing on the surface of the water, with his head down, as
though grazing or drinking, that it seems ahuost impossible
to get rid of the illusion; as we approached it, however, it
proved very rock-like, and seven corvorants flew off, and
skimmed in a line along the surface of the water to some lit-
tle rocks we had just before passed. After leaving the horse
I soon landed, and returned for the night to Cloghereen.
I next paid my respects to Turk waterfall. Owing to an
excess of rain the fall was really very striking, — far more so
than 1 had expected to find it : it was a continuous sheet of
foam. I first found Trichomanes speciosum to the left of the
seat whence visitors take the first view of the fall. About
fifteen yards higher up the stream, the rocky bank projects
into the river; the projection is only to be approached by
leaping from stone to stone, along the bed of the torrent,
which, in times of flood, as happened to be the case when I
paid it this visit, is rather an exciting and ticklish operation.
You are so close to the fall as to be covered by the spray, and
the roar is almost deafening. Having reached the projection,
the botanist must ascend it by means of the roots and branch-
es,— a feat very readily performed, and there is a little plat-
form at the top, where he can stand very comfortably ; and
while so standing, he will find the rocky bank, just on a level
with his eye, completely clothed with Trichomanes, the dark
green fronds hanging heavily down, dripping with wet, and,
if the sun happen to shine, begemmed with sparkling drops.
It is a beautiful sight, and well worth the wet feet, which,
when the flood is on, form a necessary accompaniment
of the expedition. The scenery around is well worthy the
rare fern which it cherishes in its bosom. The rhizoma of
this fern is black, velvety, tough, and remarkably long r it
formed a kind of network on the perpendicular surface of the
rock, in which its roots had no kind of hold : this was the
character of the plant when most luxuriaut, but I found other
and much smaller plants, which possessed more root and less
rhizoma^ and the roots were fixed in a thin layer of moist
earih, among a profusion of moss and Hymenopliyllum.
At this waterfall, and again in various localities along the
road winding towards Kenmare, I found both species oi Hy-
menopliyllum growing together in the greatest luxuriance and
profusion, sometimes on rocks, and sometimes clothing the
stems of oak trees to the height of three or four feet from the
ground.
In walking under Turk Mountain on my way to Kenmare,
I found Asplenium marinum in considerable abundance, to
FOSSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN. 75
the left of the road, on a rock which appeared to have been
blasted but a few years back. It was of small size and some-
what unusual form, and 1 consider the habitat worthy of no-
tice, as being so completely inland. The plant grows at a
considerable height on the cliff, and, except to a practised
eye, would have the appearance of Ceterach officinarum. —
The site of this fern is near a tunnel of rock, through which
the road passes. The walk here is very fine ; the arbutus
trees are most ornamental and of large size : I measured the
trunk of one that was lying by the road-side, and found it four
feet nine inches in circumference. Rohertsonia umhrosa, or
the plant which I have taken for it, is very abundant both
here and at the Gap of Dunloe.
The ferns which I met with at Killarney are these. Lo-
maria spicant, Pteris aquilina, Polypodinm r/ulgare, Poly-
stichum aculeatum, LastrcBa Oreopieris, Las. Filix-mas, Las.
dilatata, Athyrium Filix-Joemina, Asplenium Adiantum-ni-
grum. Asp. Rufa-muraria, Asp.marinum, Asp. Trichomanes,
Scolopendrium, vidgare, Ceterach officinarum, Trichomanes
speciosum, Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, Hym. Wilsoni,
and Osmunda regalis : and to these Mr. Mackay has added
Lastrcea Thelypieris. Polypodium Dryopteris and PJtegop-
teris, ferns which delight in regions like these, I was unable
to discover.
(To be continued).
Abt. III.— ^ Systematic Catalogue of the Fossil Plants of Britain,
By John Morris, Esq.
(Continued from Vol. in-page 6AQ J,
Adiantites, Gopp.
Frond stipitate, semi-orl)icular, fan-shaped, entire, deeply lobed or pin-
nate, j^mncc nearly orbicular or oblong, usually unequal and cordate at the
base ; veins very numerous, forked, arising from the base ; midrib scarcely
apparent.
* Frond simple, stipitate.
Adian. digit atus, Gopp. page 217; Sphenopteris latifolia,
Phillips, tab. 7, fig. 18. Cyclopteris digitata, Brong. Hist,
i. page 219, tab. 61, fig. 2, 3; Sternb. part v. and vi. page
^^. Upper Oolite shale, Scarborough ; Bumiston Bay.
76 FOSSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN.
— Huttoni, Gopp. page 217. Cyclopteris digitata, Lind.
and Hutt. page 179, tab- 64. Cycl. Huttoni, Sternb. part
V. and vi. page 66. Oolite shale, Scarborough,
Phillipsii, Nob. Sphenopteris Phillipsii, Mant. Geol.
South East Eng. page 239, fig. 2. Hastings sands, Heath-
field.
* * Frond pinnate.
— Cyclopteris, Gopp. page 218, tab. 34, fig. 8 a. Cyclop-
teris orbicularis, Brong. Prod, page 52 ; Hist. i. page 220,
tab. 61, fig. 1,2; Parkinson, i. tab. 5, fig. 5. Cycl. Ger-
mari, Sternb. part v. and vi. page 68. Coal measures,
England; Belgium; Bohemia; Silesia.
— Germari, Gopp. page 218. Coal measures, Wettin,
Germany.
— Jlabellatus, Gopp. page 219. Cyclopteris flahellata,
Brong, Prod, page 52, Hist. i. page 218, tab. 61, fig. 4—6;
Sternb. loo. cit. page 167. Transition slate, Berghaupten,
Germany.
Bockschii, Gopp. tab. 36, fig. 6. Transition slate,
Hausdorf, Glatz.
— reniformis, Gopp. page 220. Cyclopteris reniformis,
Brong. Hist. i. page 216, tab. 61, fig. 1, excluding synon-
ymes; Sternb. part v. and vi, page 67. Coal measures,
Frejus, France.
trichomanoides, Gopp. page 220. Cyclopteris tricho-
manoides, Brong. Hist, i, page 217, tab. 61, fig. 4; Sternb.
loc. cit. page 67. Coal measures, St. Etienne, France.
— ohliquus, Gopp. page 221. Cyclopteris ohliqua, Brong.
Prod, page 51 ; Hist. i. page 221, tab. 61, fig. 3; lAndl.
and Hutton, tab. 90, fig. A, B. Cycl. auriculata, Brong.
Prod, page 51. Coal measures, Yorkshire ; Pontnewydd,
South Wales ; Charlottenbrunn, Silesia.
— (jiganteus, Gopp. page 221, tab. 7. Coal measures,
Waldenburg.
— ohlatus. Nob. Cyclopteris ohlata, Lindl. and Hutt. iii
tab. 217. Coal measures, Little Hever, Bolton-le-Moor.
umhilicatus, Gopp. page 221. Cyclopteris dilatata,
Lindl. and Hutton, ii. tab. 91, fig. B. Coal measures, Fel-
ling, England.
— heterophyllus, Gopp. page 222, tab. 35, fig. 1, 2. Coal
measures, Schlegel, Glatz.
— irregularis, Gopp. page 385. Otopteris cuneata, Lind.
and Hutt. ii. tab. 155, page 203. Oolite shale, Gristhorpe
Bay, Yorkshire.
— Murchisoniy Gopp. page 386. Otopteris duhia, Lindl.
TIJ[.
/■////////V/ /
y.-a
€:^^^^^ry.
' , FO'SSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN. 77
and Hiitt. ii. tab. 150, page 191. Coal measures, 'Kxiowl^-
bury, England. ^
Beani, Gopp. page 223. Cyclopteris Beani, Lind. and
Hutt. i. page 127, tab. 44 ; Sternb. part v. and vi. page 67.
Oolite shale, Gristhorpe Bay.
— otopterides, Gopp. tab. 35, fig. 7. Coal measures, Za-
lenge, Silesia.
semijlahelliformis, Cyclopteris, Geol. Trans .2nd Series,
vol. V. tab. 38, fig. 7. Coal measures, Coalbrook Dale.
*%% Frond bipinnate.
auriculatus, Gopp. page 224. Neuropteris auriculata
Brong. Hist. i. page 236, tab. QQ. Cyclopteris auriculata,
Sternb. part v. and vi. page QQ, tab. 22, fig. 6. Coal »«ea-
.s'wr^fS, St. Etienne, France ; Bohemia; Waldenburgh.
— Villiersii, Gopp. page 225. Cyclopteris Villiersii, Stem,
part V. and vi. page QQ. Neuropteris Villiersii, Brong.
Prod, page 53 ; Hist. i. page 233, tab. 64, fig. 1. Coal
measures, Alais, France.
trilohus, Gopp. page 225. Cyclopteris dilatata. Stern.
part V. and vi. page Qi6. Sphenopteris dilatata, Lind. and
Hutt. i. tab. 47. Coal measures, Bensham.
— pachy7'hachis, Gopp. page 387. Sphenopteris crassa,
Lindl. and Hutt. iii. page 21, tab. 160. Coal measures,
Burdiehouse, Edinburgh.
**** Frond tripinnale.
— cuneatus, Gopp. page 226. Sphenopteris nervosa, Brong.
Prod, page 50 ; Hist. i. page 174, tab. 56, fig. 26 and 29 ;
Sternb, part v. and vi. page 56. Coal measures.
— concinnus, Gopp. page 226. Sphenopteris adiantoides,
Lindl. and Hutt. ii. page 91, tab. 115. Coal measures,
Jarrow.
ohlongifolius, Gopp. page 227, tab. 21, fig. 4, 5. Coal
measures, Charlottenbrunn.
microphyllus, Gopp. page 228. Sphenopteris obovata,
Lindl. and Hutt. ii. tab. 109. Coal measures, Newcastle.
SPHENOPTFRIDES, Gopp.
Frond Vu or tri-pinnate ; pinnulce entire, for the most part lobed, cune-
ate at the base ; or bi- or tri-pinnatifid, the lobes toothed or lobed, veins
furcate : midrib distinct and rather flexuose ; veins obliquely ascending,
one to each lobe, simple or dichotomous, and forked at the apex. Fructi-
fication marginal.
' Probably not a fern, as the leaves appear to be whorled around the
stem ; it more nearly resembles a small branch of Dammara australis.
78 FOSSIL PLANTS OF BIUTAIiX.
CHEILA.NTHITES, Gopp.
Frond and pinnulee as in the sections. Veins dichotomous, simple or
forked (rarely tri-forked) in each lobe ; margin of the lobes thickened.
* DavallitcB,
Frond hi- or tri-pinnate, pinnules or segments of the pinnula cuneate,
nerves obliquely ascending, solitary or in pairs.
Cheil. Mantelliy Gopp. page 231. Sphenopteris Mantelli,
Brong. Prod, page 50 ; Hist. i. page 170, tab. 45, fig. 3 — 7 ;
Stevnb. part v. and vi. page 56. Hymenopteris psilotoides,
Mant Tilgate Foss. plate 1, fig. 3, «, 5, plate 3, fig. 6, 7,
plate 20, fig. 1, 2 ; Geol. Trans. 2nd Series, i. page 424 ;
Sternb. part w. page 22. Hastings sand, Tilgate Forest.
■ linearis, Gopp. page 232, tab. 15, fig. 1. Sphenopteris
linearis, Sternb. part iv^ tab. 42, fig. 4; Brong. Hist. i. page
175, tab. 54, fig. 1 ; Lindl. and Hutt. tab. 230. Coal mea-
sures, Newcastle, &c. ; Swina, Bohemia.
denticnlatus, Gopp. page 232 ; Sphenopteris denticula^
Brong. Hist. i. page 188, tab. 56, fig. 1 ; Sternb. part v. and
vi. page 61. Oolite shale, Scarborough.
acutilohus, Gopp. page 233. Sphenopteris acutiloha,
Sternb. part v. and vi. tab. 20, fig. 6. Coal measures, Bo-
hemia.
laxus, Gopp. page 234. Sphenopteris laxa, Sternb.
part iii. tab. 31, fig. 3, part v. and vi. page 58; Brong. Hist.
i. page 213. Coal measures, Durham.
elegans, Gopp. page 234, tab. 10, fig. 1, tab. 11, fig. I,
2. Sphenopteris elegans, Brong. Prod, page 50 ; Hist. i.
page 172, tab. 53, fig. 1, 2; Sternb. part v. and vi. page 56.
Acrostichum silesiacum, Sternb. part ii. page 29, tab. 23,
fig. 2. Filicites adiantoides, Schloth. Flore der Vorw. tab.
10, fig. 18; Petrefact. tab. 21, fig. 2. Coalmeasures, Wal-
denburgh and Charlottenbrunn : Radnitz, Bohemia.
divaricaius, Gopp. page 238, tab. 12, fig. 1, 2. Sphe-
nopteris elegans, Sternb. part v. and vi. tab. 20, fig. 3, 4;
Bronn, page 30, tab. 7, fig. 5. Coal measures, Waldenburg.
microlohus. Gopp. page 238, tab. 13, fig. 1 — 3. Scheuch.
tab. 1, fig. 7. Coal measures, Waldenburg.
tridactylites, Gopp. page 240. Sphenopteris tridactyl-
ites, Brong. Hist. i. page 181, tab. 50; Sternb. part v. and
vi. page 59. Coal measures, Montrelais ; Waldenburg.
tenellus, Gopp. page 240. Sphenopteris tenella, Brong.
Hist. i. page 186, tab. 49, fig. 1 ; Sternb. part v. and vi.
page 60. Sphen. multijida i Lindl. and Hutt. ii. tab.
123, page 113. Coal measures, OX^^xa.-, Yorkshire.
rOSSilL PLANTS OY BRITAIN, 79
• cysteoides, Nob. Sphenopteris cysteoides, Lindl. and
Hutt. iii. tab. 176. Oolite, Stonesfield.
meifolius, Gopp. page 241. Sphenopteris meifolia,
Sternb. part v. and vi. page bQ, tab. 20, fig. 5 ; /3, trijidus,
Gopp. tab. 15; fig. 3, 4. Coal measures, Radnitz ; Wal-
denburg.
fenuifolius, Gopp. page 241. Sphenopteris tenuifolia
Brong. Hist. i. page 190, tab. 148, iig. 1 ; Sternb. part v.
and vi. page 61. Coal measures, St. George's-Chatellai-
son. {Sphen. argutaf Lindl. and Hutt. iii. tab. 168. —
Oolite shale, Yorkshire).
grypophyllus, Gopp. page 242, tab. 36, fig. 1, 2. Coal
measures, Charlottenbrunn.
** CheilantkitcB veri.
Frond bi- or tripinnate, pinnules entire, usually pinnatifid or lobed, the
nerves pinnate, the secondary ones usually in pairs, rarely solitary, forked
at the base.
distans, Gopp. page 243, tab. 9, fig. 1, 2. Sphenopteris
distans, Sternb. part v. and vi. page 62 ; Brong. Prod, page
51 ; Hist. i. page 198, tab. 54, fig. 3. Coal measures, II-
menau ; Waldenburg.
— H'dninghausiy Gopp. page 244. Sphenopteris aspleni-
oides, Sternb. part iv. page 16, part v. and vi. page 62. —
Sphen. H'dninghausi, Brong. Hist. i. page 199, tab. 52. —
Coal measures, Newcastle ; Werden, Radnitz.
— rigidus, Gopp. page 245. Sphenopteris rigida, Brong.
Hist. i. page 201, tab. 53, fig. 4 ; Sternb. part v. and vi.
page 63. Coal measures, Waldenburg.
— trifoliolatus, Gopp. page 245. Sphenopteris trifoUolata,
Brong. Hist. i. page 202, tab. 53, fig. 3. Filicites trifoli-
oZ(2/i/s, Artis, page 11, tab. 6 ; Parkinson, i. tab. 5, fig. 2. —
Coal measures, Elsecar, Yorkshire; Valenciennes; Wal-
denburg.
polyphyllas, Gopp. page 388. Sphenopteris polyphyl-
la, Lindl. and Hutt. ii. tab. 147, page 185. Coal measure^-,
Titterstone Clee, Knowlsbury, Shropshire.
— Hihberti, Nob. Sphenopteris Hibherti, Lind. and Hut,
iii. tab. 177. Coal measures, Kirkton, Linlithgow.
ohiusilohus, Gopp. page 246. Sphenopteris ohtusiloha,
Brong. Hist. i. page 204, tab. 53, fig. 2 ; Sternb. part v.
and vi. page 63. Coal measures, Waldenburg.
— irregrdaris, Gopp. page 247. Sphenopteris irregularis,
Sternb. part v. and vi. tab. 17, fig. 4. Coal measures, Rad-
nitz.
— hotryoides, Gopp. page 247. Sphenopteris hotryoides.
80 FOSSIL PLANTS OF BlUTAIN.
Sternb. part v. and vi. page 63. Pecopteris venuf^ta, Stemb.
part iv. page 19; part ii. tab. 20, fig. 1. Coal measures,
Swina, Bohemia.
repandus, Gopp. page 248, tab. 15, fig. 2. Pecopteris
repanda, Lind. and Hutt. ii. tab. 84. Coal meas. Jarrow.
Conway i, Gopp. page 389. Sphenopteris Conway i.
Lind. and Hutt. ii. tab. 146. Coal measures, Pontnewydd,
Wales.
— debiliSf Gopp. page 389. Pecopteris debilis, Sternb.
part. ii. page 30, tab. 26, fig. 3 ; part iv. page 18. Coal
measures, Radnitz and Schatzlar.
— undulatus, Gopp. page 248. Neuropteris undidata,
Lindl. and Hutt. ii. page 83. Oolite shale, Scarborough.
crenatus, Gopp. page 248. Sphenopteris crenata, Lind.
and Hutt. i. tab. 39 ; ii. tab. 100, 101 ; Sternb. part v. and
vi. page 61. Coal measures, Whitehaven, Bensham.
*** DicksonitcB.
Frond bi- or tri-pinnate, pinnules sessile, pinnatifid, veins obliquely as-
cending, dichotomous and forked in each lobe.
Gravenhorstii, Gopp. page 249. Sphenopteris fragilis,
Brong. Prod, page 51. Sph. Gravenhorstii, Brong. Prod,
page 51 ; Hist. i. page 191, tab. 55, fig. 3 ; Sternb. part v.
and vi. page 61. Filicites fragilis, Schloth. Petrel", page
4Cr8, tab. 10, fig. 17. Coal measures, Waldenburg. Var.
/S, Isle of Anglesea.
Schlotheimii, Gopp. page 250, tab. 15, fig. 5. Sphen-
opteris Schlotheimii, Sternb. part iv. page 15; part v. and
vi. page 62; Brong. Hist. i. page 193, tab. 50. Filicites
adiantoidas, Schloth. Pet. page 408, tab. 10, fig. 18. Coal
measures, Breitenbach and Saarbruck ; Waldenburg.
— Duhuissonis, Gopp, page 250. Sphenopteris Duhuis-
sonis, Brong, Prod, page 51 ; Hist. i. page 195, tab. 54, fig.
4 : Stemb. part v. and vi. page 62. Coal measures, Mon-
trelais.
gracilis, Gopp. page 251. Sph etiopteris gracilis, Bvong.
Prod, page 51 ; Hist. i. page 197, tab. 54, fig, 2. Sphen.
fragilis, Sternb. part v. and vi. page 62. Coal measures,
Newcastle.
Doubtful species,
excelsa ? Nob. Sphenopteris excelsa, Lind. and Hutt.
iii. tab. 212. Coal measures, Newcastle.
— cuneolata. Nob. Sphenopteris cuneolata, Lindl. and
Hutt. iii. tab. 214. Coal measures, Newcastle.
(To.be continued).
ADDITIONAL SPECIES OF TllK GENUS KQUtJS. 81
Art. V — Notice of sorne additional species of the genus Equus,
to those currently admitted by Zoologists. By Edward Blyth,
Ksq.
It is to be lamented that since the establishment of periodi-
cals exclusively devoted to particular departments of scientific
enquiry, some systematic record has not been regularly pub-
lished, of the scattered items of information which inciden-
tally but continually appear in the narratives of travellers,
and in other works of a general character. Valuable hints
are frequently lost, or perhaps only met with when their uti-
lity in promoting investigation shall have been superseded,
by the fortuitous re-discovery of the facts long previously in-
dicated, and which might have been sought for and re-ascer-
tained much earlier, had some such record been adopted. —
Quotations of short passages, and references to such as are
less conveniently transferrible, would unquestionably, in pro-
portion as they keep pace with the progress of publication,
and are extracted from works unlikely to pass into the hands
of the class which they most concern, exert a highly benefi-
cial influence on the progress of knowledge, and would obvi-
ate the tiresome necessity now imposed upon those who hap-
pen to be engaged on any particular science, of wading through
volume after volume in pursuit of casual observations.
This idea has just forcibly occurred to me, on looking over
ray memoranda for some details on the species of Equus,
which are probably much more numerous than is cun-ently
supposed, as the following extracts will show. Six species
only are admitted by Cuvier, or four besides the horse and ass,
which latter I need not here treat of Three of them are well-
known inhabitants of South Africa, remarkable for their striped
skins ; viz. —
1. The Quagga [Eqrius quagga, Gmelin), so named from
its barking voice, and at one time supposed to be the female
zebra. It is termed " Wild Horse " in the Cape colony, and
is indeed the most horse-like, in figure and action, of all the
species with callosities on the fore-limbs only, though still
essentially asinine in its details. The head and ears are re-
markably like those of a horse ; and it has stripes on the neck,
hind-head, and fore-part of the body only, becoming obsolete
behind. This animal has not been observed northward of the
Gariep river, and associates very much with the common or
white-tailed gnoo. Some years ago a pair of them were
frequently seen drawing a cin-ricle about the parks of London.
Vol. IV.— No. 3S. n. s. k
82 NOTICE OF ADDITIONAL SPECIES
2. The Douw ^ {Equus BurchellH of some, or better, Eq.
cristaius ; Eq. zebra of Burchell ; erroneously referred by
Cuvier to Eq. ^nontana of Burchell). Colour of a pale ass,
marked with broad blackish stripes, and generally narrower
and fainter intermediate ones on the neck and body, but none
on the limbs of the adult ; the mane forming a high crest be-
tween the ears ; the face more completely striped than in the
true zebra, the stripes terminating in a blackish muzzle. —
This handsome species was first indicated as "a curious
cream-coloured quaccha" in the Journal of the expedition
into the interior of South Africa which was accompanied by
the artist Daniell, and which is appended to Sir J. Barrow's
* Voyage to Cochin China' (page 410) ; it being afterwards
stated (page 415) that "the whole body is covered with dark
brown stripes," which differentiate it from the " Isabelline Ze-
bra" of Le Vaillant.^ It chiefly inhabits northward of the
Gariep, and associates with the brindled gnoo [Caiohlepas
taurinus and gorgon).
3. The Zebra [Equus Zehra, Lin. ; Eq. inontana, Bur-
chell). The confusion of the names of these animals by Dr.
Burchell, was long since pointed out by Mr. J. E. Gray, in
the * Zoological Journal,' vol. i. page 241 ; the present one
being the mountain species, and distinguished by its admira-
bly regular stripes extending quite down to the hoofs. It is
diffused from the Cape colony to Guinea, Congo, and even
Abyssinia, according to Ludolff; while Bruce also mentions
that " the zebra is found nowhere in Abyssinia, except in the
south-west extremity of Kuora amid the Shangalla and Galla,
in Narea and Caff, and in the mountains of Dyre and Tegla,
and thence to the southward." — (Travels, vol. iv. p. 522). It
is the Wilde-Paarde of the Cape colonists : and two or three
individuals which have been broken in by the celebrated
equestrian, Ducrow, entirely lost their spirit and vivacity in
consequence, assuming the humbled bearing of the common
donkey.
Bruce also states, in the same place, — "Wild asses I have
frequently seen alive, but never dead: in neck, head, face and
tail, very like ours, oidy their skins are streaked^ not spot-
ted [.f"]." I do not remember that lliippell anywhere mentions
' Pronounced like the first syllable of dower.
2 In the same narrative (page 400) occurs a distinct notice of the recently
established Rhinoceros Ketloa of Dr. Andrew Smith, which is described by
the name oi Jeckloa. " It measured from the head to the root of the tail,
10 feet 7 inches, and its height exceeded 5 feet 6 inches. But its size was
less a subject of remark than the peculiarity of its horns, which were pretty
nearly of the same length."
OF THE GENUS EQUUS. 83
the occurrence of wild Equi in that country; but it is not
unlikely that a fourth species is here indicated by Bruce,
which remains to be established by future observers.
The next quotation is from Bell's ' Travels in Tartary,' vol.
i. chap. iii. p. 224 ; " Journey from Tomsky to Elimsky, in
the country of the Tzulimm Tartars." — " Here are also wild
asses. I have seen many of their skins. They have, in all
respects, the head, tail, and hoofs of an ordinary ass; but their
hair is waved, white and brown, like that of a tiger.'''' This
comparison would lead us to believe that they are striped ;
and it should be remembered that the common ass, aborigi-
nally an Asiatic species, has frequently distinct stripes upon
the legs when very young. Bell adds — " There is, besides,
a number of wild horses, of a chestnut colour, which cannot
be tamed, though they are caught when foals. These horses
differ in nothing from the common kind in shape, but are the
most watchful creatures alive. One of them waits always on
the heights, to give warning to the rest ; and, upon the least
approach to danger, runs to the herd, making all the noise he
can ; upon which all of them scud away, like so many deer.
The stallion drives up the rear, neighing, biting, and kicking
those which do not run fast enough. Notwithstanding their
wonderful sagacity, however, these animals are often sur-
prised by the Kalmucks; who ride in among them, well
mounted on swift horses, and kill them with broad lances. —
Their flesh they esteem excellent food, and use their skins to
sleep upon instead of couches."
The preceding paragraph to that just cited, in the same
work, is especially interesting, as containing a distinct notice
of the aurochs, ( Bos caiicasica ? ) which I am surprised has
been overlooked by naturahsts who have sought for traces
of the European bison in Asia : that the Caucasian animal,
however, which this would probably be, is a distinct spe-
cies, I think (with Dr. Weissenborn), extremely probable.*
" On the hills, and in the woods near this place, are many
sorts of wild beasts ; particularly the urus, or uhr-ox, one of
the fiercest animals the world produces. Their force is such,
that neither the wolf, bear, nor tiger, dares to engage with
them." This of course cannot be the gaour, or Asseel Gayal, of
India ; of which latter, I may remark, there is a skull in the
Museum of the United Service Club, said to be from the south of
' In the Catalogue of the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons,
London, a hison's skull (that of a young female, and the only portion of
this animal that I know of in London), is marked — " Habitat the forests of
southern Russia in Asia, the Caucasian and Carpathian mountains, &c."
81 NOTICE 01- ADDITIONAL SPECIES
China. Bell continues, — " In the same woods is found another
species of oxen, called Buhul by the Tartars [obviously the
yack]. It is not so large as the urus ; its body and limbs are
very handsome ; it has a high shoulder and flowing tail, with
long hair growing from the rump to its extremity, like that of
a horse. Those which I saw were tame, and as tractable as
other cattle." But to return to the Equi.
The Djigguitai [Equus hemionus, Pallas), a well-known
Asiatic species, with a broad, dark, mesial stripe Aown the
back, widening upon the croup ; and which undoubtedly is
extensively diffused, though at present much confounded with
others. Such is
The Khur, or wild ass of Persia, so celebrated for its fleet-
ness ; and observed near Mount Taurus by Mr. Ainsworth
('Travels in Assyria, Babylonia, and Chaldea,' page 41). —
The most detailed notice occurs in Sir R. Ker Porter's Tra-
vels (vol. i. page 459), where there is also a coloured figure
of the animal. "The sun was just rising," observes Sir Ro-
bert, "over the summits of the eastern mountains, when my
greyhound suddenly darted off" in pursuit of an animal, which
my Persians said, from the glimpse they had of it, was an an-
telope. I instantly put spurs to my horse, and, with my at-
tendants, gave chace. After an unrelaxed gallop of full three
miles, we came up with the dog, who was then within a short
stretch of the creature he pursued ; and to my surprise, and,
at first, vexation, I saw it to be an ass. Upon a moment's
reflection, however, judging from its fleetness that it must be
a wild one, a creature little known in Europe, but which the
Persians prize above all other animals as an object of chase,
I determined to approach as near to it as the very swift Arab
I was on would carry me. But the single instant of check-
ing my horse to consider, had given our game such a head of
us, that notwithstanding all our speed we could not recover
our ground on him. I, however, happened to be considera-
bly before my companions, when, at a certain distance, the
animal in its turn made a pause, and allowed me to approach
within pistol-shot of him. He then darted off" again with the
quickness of thought ; capering, kicking, and sporting in his
flight, as if he were not blown in the least, and the chase were
his pastime.
" He appeared to me to be about ten or twelve hands high;
the skin smooth, like a deer's, and of a reddish colour ; the
belly and hinder parts partaking of a silvery grey ; his neck
was finer than that of a common ass, being longer, and bend-
ing like a stag's ; and his legs beautifully slender : the head
and cars seemed large in proportion to the gracefulness of
OF THE GKNUS liQULS. 85
these forms, and by them I first recognised that the object of
my chace was of the ass tribe. The mane was short and
blacky as was also a tnft which terminated his tail. No line
whatever ran along his hack^ or crossed his shoulders, as are
seen in the tame species with us. When my followers of the
country came up, they regretted that 1 had not shot the crea-
ture when he was within my aim ; telling me that his flesh is
one of the greatest delicacies in Persia. The prodigious
swiftness and peculiar manner with which he fled across the
plain, coincided exactly with the description that Xenophon
gives of the same animal in Arabia, (vide Anabasis, book i.).
But above all, it reminded me of the striking portrait drawn
by the author of the book of Job.
" I was informed by the mehmendar, who had been in the
desert, when making a pilgrimage to the shrine of Ali, that
the wild ass of Irak Arabi differs in nothing from the one I
had just seen. He had observed them often, for a short
time, in the possession of the Arabs, who told him the crea-
ture was perfectly untameable. A few days after this dis-
cussion, we saw another of these animals ; and pursuing it
determinedly, had the good fortune, after a hard chace, to kill
it and bring it to my quarters. From it I completed my sketch."
Allied to the khur, would seem to be the " Isabelline Ze-
bra" of Le Vaillant, observed by that author in large herds in
southern Africa, but met with by no subsequent traveller. —
" It was only under the twenty-fifth parallel," he states, "that
I found a kind of w^ild ass, of an isabelline or pale yellow co-
lour. This animal is, by the Greater Namaquas, styled the
White Zebra; but it is certainly a wild ass, for, instead of
having a striped skin like the zebra, it is of one colour, which
has a yellow tinge. No animal in all Africa, perhaps, is so
suspicious and so shy as this kind of ass. It appears every-
where in large herds ; but I could never get near enough to
fire at any of them. I have, however, in my possession, a
skin, which was employed to cover the hut of a savage."'
It is remarkable that there is here, also, no mention of a me-
dian dorsal stripe.
Col. Hamilton Smith, in his notice of the isabelline ante-
lope (Redunca isabellina), suggests that — " It may be asked
here if the female of this animal can have been mistaken by
M. Vaillant for a kind of wild Equus, which he designates as
an isabella-coloured zebra. As the gallop of the preceding
species (Red.fulvo-riffula, H. Smith), is said to resemble the
action of a horse, the mistake may have occurred w^hen the
' ' New .Journey,' English Translation, iii. page 34.
86 ADDITIONAL SPECIES OF THE GENUS EQUUS.
creature was seen at a distance." * To this it may be repli-
ed, that the very inferior size of the isabelline antelope, the
non- gregarious habits of its group — at least to any extent,
and above all, the matured judgment of so experienced an
observer as Le Vaillant (who even possessed a mutilated skin,
that would have enabled him to correct a hastily-formed opin-
ion, for the shaggy coat of a Redunca is widely different from
that of an Equus), alike concur to negative the conjecture.
The last animal I have to mention is a wild Equus of the
Eastern Himmalayas. In Moorcroft's ' Travels in the Him-
malayan Provinces ' (Residence at Ladakh, vol. i. page 311),
we read, — " In the eastern parts of this country is a non-de-
script wild variety of horse, which I may call Equus kiang.
It is, perhaps, more of an ass than a horse, but its ears are
shorter [they are long in Eq. hemionus], and it is certainly
not the Gurkhor, or wild ass of Sindh. Its activity and
strength render its capture difficult." He afterwards nar-
rates (page 443), — " We saw many large herds of the kiang,
and I made various attempts to bring one down, but with in-
variably ill success. Some were wounded, but not sufficiently
to check their speed, and they quickly bounded up the rocks,
where it w^as impossible to follow. They would afford ex-
cellent sport to four or five men well mounted, but a single
individual has no chance. The kiang allows his pursuer to
approach no nearer than five or six hundred yards ; he then
trots off, turns, looks, and waits until you are almost within
distance, when he is off again. If fired at, he is frightened, and
scampers off altogether. The Chan-than people sometimes
catch them by snares, sometimes shoot them. From all I
have seen of the animal, I should pronounce him to be nei-
ther a horse nor an ass. His shape is as much like that of
the one as of the other ; but his cry is more like braying than
neighing. [That of the Djigguitai is a curious compound of
both]. The prevailing colour is a light reddish chestnut;
but the nose, the under part of the jaw and neck, the belly
and legs, are white ; the mane is dun and erect ; the ears are
moderately long ; the tail bare, and reaching a little below
the hocks ; the height is about fourteen hands. The form,
from the fore to the hind leg, and feet, to a level with the
back, is more equal than that of an ass. He is, perhaps,
more allied to the quagga, but is without stripes, except a
reported one along each side of the back to the tail. These
were distinctly seen in a foal, but were not distinguished in
the adults."
' Griffith's English Edition of the ' Regne Animal,' vol. iv. p. 241.
REMARKS ON THK TKETII OF REPTILES. 87
Here, then, we have notices, more or less distinct, of per-
haps five species additional to the six which are well known
(if, indeed, the wild ass can be considered as well known). —
First, in the African continent, besides the three striped spe-
cies of the Cape, the striped wild ass of Bruce, as distinguish-
ed from his zebra ; and, in Asia, the wild ass of Bell, with
" hair waved, white and brown, like that of a tiger.'''' Then,
there is the " Isabelline Zebra " of Le Vaillant, of a uniform
sort of cream colour, with a yellowish tinge ; the Khur of
Persia and Arabia, also stripeless, but otherwise very like the
Djigguitai, and which of course is the " wild mule" of the
ancients ; and finally, the Kiang of Thibet, also, it would
seem, much resembling the Equus hemionus, with an ob-
scure i}) stripe in the adult, more distinct in the foal, running
along each side of the back to the tail, and which is moreo-
ver like the true zebra, a mountain animal, that " bounds up
the rocks," so as to defy pursuit. The re-publication of these
notices may possibly lead to the desired investigation.
In conclusion, I would suggest that it would be quite as
well if geologists, who continually have occasion to speak of
fossil remains of this genus, were always to mention them
under the latin name of Equus, instead of the English Horsey
inasmuch as it is very generally supposed, in consequence of
the latter term being employed, that the Eq. cahallus is the
animal so commonly met with in the European superficial
strata, which there is no reason to suppose is veritably the
case. '
North Brixton, January 1st, 1840.
Art. VI. — Remarks on the teeth of Reptiles, from the Tilgate Grit
of Battle and St. Leonard's. By John Edward Lee, Esq.
The following remarks on the teeth of reptiles from the Til-
gate grit and clay of Battle and St. Leonard's, may perhaps
not be unacceptable ^o you for insertion in the Magazine.
The fall in the cliff near the church at St. Leonard's, which
took place last winter, afforded an opportunrty of examining
more particularly the stratum which contains the patches of
* We cannot help strongly seconding this judicious recommendation of
Mr. Blyth's. The impropriety has most probahly originated in the circum-
stance of the close agreement displayed in the characters of the teeth
throughout the species of the genus Eqnus. — Ed.
88
ON THE TEETH OF REPTILES
Several teeth and fragments of bones were found
in this irregular layer, but the larger and more perfect bones
were obtained from the clay bed immediately above the grit.
This was also the case at Telham, near Battle ; the patches
of "sea-sand," as it is called by the workmen, are only very
occasionally met with, but when found, are in general rich in
organic remains ; they are covered with a thick bed of clay, in
which large vertehrce, and bones of the crocodile, and proba-
bly of the iguanodon, are occasionally found ; but the richest
locality is in the immediate neighbourhood of Battle. A very
small quaiTy, which was opened north of the town early last
spring, has afforded rather an extensive series of teeth, and
bones of reptiles, fishes, and turtles. These are the principal
localities in the neighbourhood of Hastings, from which I
have obtained any considerable number of Wealden fossils.
I. — Crocodile. Good specimens of the teeth of this animal
are comparatively rare at St. Leonard's ; but from Telham and
Battle they may be obtained nearly equal to the largest of
those from Tilgate forest. At Battle especially, they are par-
ticularly abundant : in some parts of the bed hardly a stone
can be broken without exhibiting portions, at least, of these
teeth ; and the difference in form which may be observed in
them is very great indeed. Besides those noticed by Dr. Man-
tell, as probably belonging to two or more species, a variety
is occasionally found much shorter and thicker than those
from Tilgate, though in other respects the characters are
nearly the same : in some cases the length of the perfect tooth
does not much exceed once and a half its greatest breadth. —
But the variety to which I particularly wish to draw your at-
tention, is one which appears to be ^ 5
extremely rare ; for 1 had only the
fortune to obtain two, during the
past winter : they differ considerably
from each other, but still have seve-
ral characters in common, and pro-
bably belong to the same species.
There may perhaps be some doubt
as to whether they ought to be re-
ferred at all to the crocodile, as
several of their characters point out
a connection with the teeth of some
other saurians ; respecting this, how-
ever, I leave it for others to decide. There is a tooth figured
in the 'OssementsFossiles' of Cuvier, from the muschelkalk
of Luneville, w^hich, in the length of the fang and partial
curvature of the upper part of the tooth, bears a very slight
FROM THE TILGATE GRIT. 89
resemblance to the larger specimen ; still it appears a dis-
tinct species.
Fig. 4, which is drawn of the natural size, represents the
larger tooth. I'he upper portion, which is considerably curved,
bears all the characters of the common teeth of the crocodile
from the wealden formation, being deeply striated, and with
an elevated ridge on each side. The sirice, as usual, all com-
mence at an equal distance from the point ; a little below the
line of their commencement, the colour, which, with the ex-
ception of a light annular streak, had been very dark brown,
changes, in the rest of the tooth, to a dull white or lead co-
lour. This light-coloured portion or fang, is double the
length of the striated or upper part of the tooth : the middle
portion is, in some measure, inflated, and again contracts to-
wards the bottom. It should, however, be mentioned, that
the original specimen is embedded in very hard grit, which
covers some parts of the inner curve, so that though from the
appearance of what is exposed, there is little doubt that the
drawing is correct, yet the exact bend of the inner outline is
in a small degree assumed : the outer side, however, is clear-
ly shown, and exhibits a very regular curve almost to the bot-
tom. The middle part of the tooth is marked v/ith obscure
longitudinal s trice, and is rather flattened at the sides, in ad-
dition to which, on the upper side, as it lies exposed in the
stone, there is a slight longitudinal depression. The lower
part of the tooth is marked by several annular furrows, one of
which, near the bottom, is very deep and well defined; the
other three, of which one is below, and two above, are in-
distinct, and rather obscure.
The smaller tooth (fig. 5) is more slender than that just
described. The outer curve is still more regular, and though
the middle portion of the tooth is slightly thicker than the
rest, yet the inner curve follows very closely the character of
the outer one. The striated portion is rather more than one
third of the length of the whole tooth. There is no annular
furrow near the bottom, as in the last specimen, but two very
indistinct ones just below the commencement of the striated
portion, and a slight annular depression, rather than a fuiTow,.
about half way up the fang.
Both these specimens were found in the small quarry near
Battle.
11. — Iguanodon. The teeth of this animal, as found at
St. Leonard's, are usually only the stumps, worn down by
attrition, and in most cases hollowed to mere shells by the
absorbent action of new teeth. On the contrary, many of
those which are found at Battle appear to have come fresh
Vol. I^^— No. 38. n. s. l
no ON THE SKELETONS OF GEESE.
from the jaw ; tlie serrated edge, in some specimens, is beau-
tifully perfect, and many of them are nearly equal in size to
the largest of those from Tilgate Forest. Good specimens,
certainly, are not common. At the same time I obtained
from the quarrymen, and by my own exertions, a series in
every stage from the perfect tooth to the worn-out stump.
III. — Megalosaurus. The teeth of this animal found at St.
Leonard's and Battle, cannot by any means vie in magnitude
with those from Stonesfield : in general they are only about
half the size, and some of them are still smaller. There is a
variety occasionally met with, which is shorter, more curved,
and rather thicker in proportion than those of the usual form;
it might be a subject of enquiry whether this belongs to a dis-
tinct species, or be only from a different part of the same ani-
mal. At St. Leonard's it is of rare occurrence to meet with
even a fragment of the tooth of a Megalosaurus ; but at the
small quarry near Battle, before alluded to, they are occasion-
ally found, though not in any great abundance.
IV. — Phytosaurus cylindricodon. The teeth which are fi-
gured by Dr. Mantell, as belonging to this animal, appear to
be extremely rare throughout the wealden : I met with only
one at St. Leonard's during the last winter, and from the Bat-
tle quarry, four or five perfect and imperfect specimens were
all that could be obtained. They appear to differ slightly
from those figured by Dr. Mantell ; the upper part is rather
more flattened, and bent inwards, and the whole surface is
deeply and irregularly wrinkled. All the specimens, like those
from Tilgate Forest, appear to have been broken short off.
Ventnor, October Uth 1839.
Art. VII. — Remarks on the Skeletons of the common tame Goosey
the Chinese Goose » and the Hybrid between the two. By T. C.
Eyton, Esq., FX.S.
The circumstance of hybrids produced between the tame
goose and the Chinese goose being again productive, was the
inducement which led me to make the following examination
of their respective skeletons, in order to ascertain the degree
of similarity existing between them. Before however stating
the results, it may perhaps be as well to mention the mode I
followed in order render the hybrids productive, which was
simply the placing together a male and female, of different
hatches ; though the birds were both young, they reared eight
young ones.
ON THE skelp:tons of gef.se. J)1
The mode adopted by me in counting the vertehrcB is the
same as that mentioned in my Monograph on the Anatiche, —
namely, to consider as cervical all the vertebrce which are
anterior to the ribs, and have no attachment to them ; the
dorsal are those anterior to the peloinal bones, having ribs
attached to them ; the sacral are those anchylosed together,
and immediately succeeding the dorsal, to some of these are
attached either true or false ribs.
The following table will show the numbering of the verte-
bral column, as far as I have been able to ascertain it, in the
birds above mentioned, and also in a variety of the Chinese
goose.
Cervical. Dorsal. Sacral. Caudal,
Tame goose 17 6 16 2 6
Climese ditto 17 6 17 2 0
White variety of ditto... 17 6 16 3 6
Hybrid 6 16 2 ..6
The second number under the head of sacral vertebrw,
denotes those to which ribs are attached ; so that the total
number in the tame goose for instance, is eighteen.
It will be seen from the foregoing table, that some differ-
ence exists in the numbers of the dorsal and sacral vertebrce
of the Chinese goose, as given here and in the work above
mentioned, which is caused by one being taken from the dor-
sal and added to the sacral. This change I have been indu-
ced to make, on the examination of a section of the pelvis ;
the skeleton referred to in the Monograph, is that now spoken
of as the white variety. I greatly regret, that in consequence
of some of the cervical vertebrce of the hybrid having been
lost, 1 have been unable to give their number with certainty,
but it is most probably seventeen, both the parent birds pos-
sessing that number. The caudal vertebrce of the Chinese
goose were also damaged.
The sternum of the hybrid bird presents some curious fea-
tures ; but previously to referring to them, it will be necessary
to point out the differences between that part in the common
goose and the Chinese, which are as follows. The tame
goose has the sternum broader and longer, with the keel deep-
er, and is altogether larger than that of the Chinese ; it is also
characterized by a wave or indentation^ in its plane, at about
* This feature increases with age. I possess the sternum of a tame goose
above twenty years old when killed, which shows it much more distinctly
than that of a young one. The fissures also on the posterior margin are
closed up, and ioxm. foramina.
9-2 REVIEWS.
one third of its length from the posterior extremity, possessed
only in a slight degiee by the Chinese.
The knob situated between the junctions of the coracoid
bones is also larger in the common goose than in the Chinese.
- The sternum of the hybrid bird is as long as that of the
tame goose, but not broader than that of the Chinese ; it is
consequently more elongated than either. The indentation
or wave in its plane is about the same as that in the Chinese,
as is also the size of the knob situated between the coracoids.
The bones of the pelvis in all three are very similar in form,
but that of the tame goose is the largest and most massive.
The hybrid differs from either of its parents, in having the
notch situated on each side of the posterior margin of the
ilium, merely represented by two slight indentations.
The cranium of the Chinese differs from that of the com-
mon goose, in having two tubercles at the base of the bill,
that part being, on the contrary, depressed in the tame goose.
The hybrid takes an intermediate form, being only slightly
elevated.
The remaining bones do not differ in form in either of the
three birds mentioned ; in the tame goose, however, they are
larger than in the Chinese, while those of the hybrid are in-
termediate between the two.
From the above brief notes the following deductions may
be drawn. — That the hybrid possesses characters nearly in-
termediate between its parents, but in one particular varies in
form from either : and that the most material difference be-
tween the parents consists in size, and in the numbering of
the sacral vertehrce ; in the latter particular the hybrid agrees
with the female parent.
REVIEWS.
Art. I. — A Manval of British Coleoptera, or Beetles ; containing a brief
description of all the Species of Beetles hitherto ascertained to inhabit
Great Britain and Ireland : together with a notice of their chief localities,
times and places of appearance, <$-c. By James Francis Stephens,
F.L.S., &c. London : Longman and Co. 1839. 8vo. 443 pp.
To a person unversed in zoological literature, the various
points of view in which the majority of the subjects of zoo-
logical science may be treated, must appear quite useless. —
Such an one would naturally be led to suppose, that when
you have once learned the name of an obscure animal, no far-
ther knowledge is requisite, or to be obtained. He would
REVIEWS. . 93
either not think at all upon, or would ridicule, the researches
of the anatomical zoologist who, like Swammerdam or Lyon-
net, would spend years over the investigation of a single spe-
cies; whilst others, whose observations are directed to the
study of the habits of the different species, or their relations in
the great chain of the creation, would be equally thought to
be following up an amusement having no solid object in view.
We are not, fortunately, now-a-days called upon to write long
essays to prove that all or any of these different views of stu-
dying nature, are possessed of respective advantages ; neither
do we feel it necessary to enter into any enquiry whether the
researches of nomenclaturist, comparative anatomist, natui'al-
historian, or natural-classiiScationist, be entitled to the great-
est weight. All are leading us on to the same end, — the
knowledge of nature, — by different routes; and therefore, a
work like the one whose title stands at the head of this arti-
cle, is in its way as valuable, in our opinion, as that reviewed
in the following one, although there is not a single readable
passage in the work of Mr. Stephens. We are exceedingly
glad to find that the author has followed the plan of some of
the best botanical writers, in giving a short abstract of his
great work, which, from its price, is necessarily in a limited
number of hands. The volumes of the " Illustrations of Bri-
tish Entomology " which comprise the beetles, cost nearly
eight pounds ; whilst here, for little more than one sixteenth
of that sum, the specific characters, sizes, habitations, and
periods of appearance, of nearly 3500 species of beetles are
given to the reader : each page averaging about nine species.
Short characters of the order, and its primary and secondary
sections, are first given, which are succeeded by the families
of the stirpes, and the genera in the respective families. A
good plan has been adopted in respect to the latter ; all the
genera in a family being characterized in the same page, in-
stead of their characters being given at the head of the re-
spective genera : by this means the student has under his
eye, at one glance, the whole of the genera in the family, and
is able far more readily to determine the genus of an insect,
than if they had been scattered over many pages. The fol-
lowing description of the first genus and species will show the
manner in which the characters are given, and which will be
seen to be sufficient for all practicable uses.
Genus 1. Cicindela. Anfer. tarsi of the ^ (male) with three dilated
joints; of the $ (female) simple : elytra oblong ovate depressed (with dis-
colorous markings) : tho. somewhat quadrate ; rarely a little cylindrical.
1. sylvatica, L. vol. ii. p. 658. Sam. pi. 3, fig. 8. Ste. M. i. 7. Ahove
hrown with purplish tints : elytra with a crescent on the shoulder, a nar-
94 REVIEWS.
row flexuous reflexed stripe in the middle and a spot near the tip, whit-
ish: upper lip black. (liength 7-8 lines). Sandy heaths: Cobham,
Weybridge, Godalming, &c., Surrey ; Christ Church, &c., Hants ; Mar-
tleshara, Aldborough, &c., Suffolk : 4-7 [April to July.]
The following enumeration of the extent of the collection
of Mr. Stephens, will, we should think, be sufficient to prove
his ample qualifications for the vrork in question.
Species about. No. of Specimens. Drawers.
Coleoptera 3320 26109 comprised in 28
Dermaptera 7 48
Orthoptera 59 326
Neuroptera 223 1066 7
Trichoptera 177 620 28
Hymenoptera 2960 21122 ) ^
Strepsiptera 2 2 |
Lepidoptera 1825 14477 56
Diptera 2450 11546 jgo
Homaloptera 10 46 )
Aphaniptera 14 26 \ ,
Aptera 154 360
}
Hemiptera 346 2720 4
Homoptera 351 1984 2
11898 80452 151
Ametabola 94 260 1
Crustacea \
Arachnoida I ^^^^ 21
Acari [
Myriapoda j
Metamorphoses About 6000 20
12449 88182 193
We give this enumeration as a scientific curiosity, showing,
as it not only does, the vast extent of the author's collection,
but also the various proportions of the different orders ; the
great number of specimens over that of species is likewise of
importance, as exhibiting the materials the writer must have
for the discrimination of varieties from species. We likewise
observe with pleasure that the publication of the 'Illustrations
is only suspended, and not, as we began to consider, de-
funct: we therefore look forward to its continuance with
great pleasure, and will merely observe that we consider it to
be a duty which Mr. Stephens owes to his subscribers, to
terminate the work ; whilst they, on their part, may rest as-
sured, that as the 'Illustrations' are printed "/or the author^''
his interest is sufficiently great to lead him to complete the
work as quickly as possible, whereby it will become of so
much greater value, in a mercantile point of view, to himself
REVIEWS. 95
The present volume is complete in itself, but it is intended
to publish three or four others, containing the remaining or-
ders. Thus for a trifling expense, at a few periods, a complete
abstract of a twenty-guinea work will be in the hands of the
reader.
Art, II. — A Treatise ou the Insects injurious to Gardeners^ Foresters, and
Farmers. By Vincent Kollar, Curator of the Royal Cabinet of Na-
tural History at Vienna, and Member of many learned Societies. Trans-
lated from the German, and illustrated by Enp^ravings. By J. and M.
Loudon : with Notes, by J. O. Westwood, F.L.S., &c. London : W.
Smith. 1840. Sm. 8vo. pp. 377.
This work is of a totally different character from that of Mr.
Stephens above described. Impressed with the conviction
that the most likely means of attaining a knowledge of the
most effectual remedies against the attacks of the various
species of obnoxious insects, are to be sought for in a know-
ledge of their respective habits, M. Kollar and his associates.
Baron Kreigelstein and Canon Schmidberger, have devoted
their attention to the economy of the different species, and
the result has been a volume on the history and " Private
Lives " of about one hundred and twenty-five of the insects
most obnoxious to vegetation. And we have now to thank
the Misses Loudon for their careful translation of the work
from the German, and for the numerous wood- cuts with
which they have illustrated the text, whereby a better notion
will be obtained of the species.
To enable the farmer and arboriculturist, — w^ho, of course,
are not always adepts in scientific classification, — to find more
easily the insects particularly interesting to each, the families
and species are not given in any systematic arrangement, but
according to the branch of culture to which they prove most
injurious. The insects troublesome to sheep and cattle are
also given, and the work contains a popularly written sketch
of the principles of entomological science. The translation
being more especially intended for the agriculturist and gar-
dener, those chapters in the original work which treated upon
body insects and house insects are omitted in the translation.
The following is a sketch of the sections into which the
translation is divided.
L Insects which do not live upon the body, but are troublesome from their
attacks upon man.
Insects which live on domestic animals.
Insects not parasitical, but which sometimes attack domestic animals.
Insects which injure bees.
96 REVIEWS.
2. Insects which injure grain in a growing state, and in the granary.
Insects injurious to meadows [and pastures].
Insects injurious to culinary vegetables.
3. Insects which injure the vine.
Insects which particularly injure greenhouse and hothouse plants.
Insects injurious to fruit-trees.
Insects which are destructive to woods and forests.
From the very neat and cheap manner in which the vohime
is got up, we trust it will become a favourite, not only with
the entomologist, but with every lover of agriculture, arbori-
culture, and horticulture.
Art. III. — British Entomology : or Illustrations and Descriptions of the
Genera of Insects found in Great Britain and Ireland. By John Curtis,
F.L.S., &c. 16 vol. 8vo., or 192 monthly parts. London : printed for
the Author. Pigot and Co.
We congratulate the author upon the completion of this, one
of the most elegant periodical works which has ever issued
from the British press. We may likewise congratulate our
readers on possessing so national, as well as so valuable, a
production. In the beauty of its figures, and the superior
style of finish of the colouring, it stands superior to any other
entomological work yet published ; w^hilst the anatomical
outlines will render it a work of constant reference to those
who do not content themselves wdth the mere names of species.
Much however still remains to be done before we possess
a complete iconographical illustration of the genera of British
insects. In Mr. Curtis's work very many groups of trivial
value have been figured, whilst others, types of well-marked
groups of considerable extent, have been omitted ; indeed we
would strenuously recommend the author to add another vo-
lume, in which these omitted groups might be illustrated. —
ScydiTKBuu^, Hispa, Slalis, Xiphydrla, Attacus, Sphex, Ly-
rops, Stifjmus, Limacodes^ Cilix, Scatopse, Anthomyia, Calo-
hata, and many others (as well as all the Ametabolous genera,
which Mr. Curtis considers as insects), ought to have been
illustrated; and even in many of the genera figured, we find
details omitted upon which the genera are chiefly founded :
a deficiency evidently originating in the higher value sup-
posed by the author to be possessed by the trophi, which he
has accordingly always represented in detail, although, in
many great groups, they clearly afford but secondary charac-
ters. The nervures of the wings of the Lepidoptera, and
their transformations, ought never to have been neglected ;
REVIEWS, 97
whilst the structure of the thoracic segments, and of the ab'
dominal appendages, has not been investigated with that
precision which was requisite in a work of such high preten^*
sion. In these respects Burmeister's 'Genera Insectorum'
(which has now reached the fourth number), and the Illus-
trations of the Crochard edition of the ' Regne Animal,' come
much nearer to our notions of generic illustration.
With all these deficiencies, however, the work will stand
as a lasting memorial of the zeal and untiring energy of its
author, during the best period of his life.
Mr. Curtis has announced an Atlas to illustrate all ento-
mological works, consisting of figures and generic characters
of the groups not figured in the ' British Entomology,' each
plate containing four or five genera ; to consist of 200 plates,
price 6d. each, uncoloured. Thus it will be seen that there
remain nearly 1000 genera over and above those delineated
in the Illustrations. We wish Mr. Curtis health to complete
his announced undertaking, which appears to us capable of
being rendered even more useful than his former work.
Art. IV. — Histoire Naturelle des Animaux ArticulSs. Par Laporte de Cas-
TELNAU, Lucas, et Blanchard. 4 forts vol. in 8vo. Paris : Dumenil.
This very cheap illustrated work, noticed by us vol. i. p. 499,
has reached its 96th number, to the middle of the Hymenopte-
ra, and is promised to be completed in 24 more parts. M.
Lucas has completed the apterous insects of Linnaeus, and M.
Blanchard is the writer of the winged insects ; Laporte descri-
bing the Coleoptera.
Art. V. — Revue Zoologique. Par la Societe Cuvierienne -. public sous la
direction de M. F. E. Guerin Meneville. 8vo. Paris,
This periodical contains numerous original memoirs, com-
prising the descriptions of various tribes, genera, or detached
species, contributed by the Marquises Spinola and De Bresne,
MM. Lesson, Kiener, Gory, Chevrolat, Guerin, and many other
writers ; analyses of new works ; and notices of the proceed-
ings of the Parisian vSocieties. The last number we have
received (for November, 1839) contains a notice of the pro-
ceedings of the scientific meeting held last year at Pisa, at
which we perceive M. V. Audouin and Prince C. L. Buona^-
parte were present.
Vol. IV.— No. 38. x. s. m
9S REVIEWS.
Art. VI.— Genera et Species Staphylinorum. Auctore G. F. Ebichson.
Purs prior. Berolini : 1839. Large 8vo. 400 pp. 3 pi.
It is intended that this work should be a complete Monograph
of the family StaphylinidcB, or the genus Staphylinus, Linn. ;
and from the talents of the author, and the valuable materials at
his command contained in the rich collection of Berlin, it
promises to be as perfect a work as can be produced upon the
subject. The plates are in outline, and represent the struc-
tural peculiarities of the genera.
Six hundred and forty-eight species are described in this
first part : but we are sorry to perceive that the author is not
acquainted with the great work of Stephens.
Art. VII. — An Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects. By
J. O. Westwood, F.L.S., &c. Longman. 8vo.
Mr. Westwood's Introduction has reached the fifteenth part,
the Mandibulata and Lepidoptera being nearly completed :
the Linna^an Diptera and Hemiptera still remain to be des-
cribed.
Art. VIII. — A History of the British Ferns. By Edward Newman,
F.L.S. London: Van Voorst. 1840. 8vo. pp. 104.
It affords us much satisfaction to find Mr. Van Voorst
extending to the botanical kingdom the circle of scientific
treatises, in which, as publisher, he has been eminently suc-
cessful. A History of our Forest Trees is in progress by Mr.
Selby ; while the work before us, treating on a more lowly
tribe, — our indigenous Ferns, may vie, though not in bulk,
yet in intrinsic merit, with the late-published ' Histories ' in
British Zoology, that have with justice earned so high a re-
putation.
Mr. Newman sets outs with a remark, the purport of
which, if more generally attended to than it has been, would
prevent so much confusion and discrepancy existing between
the accounts of different systematic writers on the protean
tribes of which this volume treats.
" I think no "botanist, who allows his memory to turn to the varieties he
has ohserved of Lastraa dilatata and Polyslichum aculeatum, will for a mo-
ment deny this ; and yet what hotanist has ever presumed to treat of the
cutting of the frond in Ferns as of any other than the highest importance ?
T entertain a different opinion. I think that mere cutting of frond is of
no more value than colour in fowls or cows, and therefore should not be
REVIEWS. 99
used as the leading character of a species; to distinguish which, I would
look for less fickle characters in the figure, position, and covering of tlte
masses of seed, in the hahit of the rhizoma, and in the general outline of
the frond."
The author dilates, at some length, on Mr. Ward's plan of
cultivating ferns in closed vessels, so as to exclude the very
free access of air. But, beautiful as are the results arrived at
by that gentleman, we cannot help thinking that Mr. New-
man's enthusiastic commendations partake rather of what our
Gallic neighbours call couleur de rose. Certainly, however,
it is by no means so generally known as it ought to be, how
very successfully ferns can be cultivated in closed glass jars,
and that thus our drawing-rooms may readily become deco-
rated with these most exquisite of Flora's productions.
" This end is obtained by the use of glass, the light so essential to vege-
tation being thus freely admitted. The most ready way to try the experi-
ment is, to procure a glass vessel, for instance, one of those jars used by
druggists and confectioners ; introduce some soft sandstone, or some light
soil, filling one-sixth of the jar with it, and taking care that the earth be
very moist, yet allowing no water to settle at the bottom of the jar ; plant
a fern in the earth, and then cover the jar with its glass lid, first supplying
a slip of wash-leather round the rim of the jar, which will pretty nearly
cut off the communication between the internal and external air ; no far-
ther attention will be required : the fern will live, thrive, and probably seed,
the seed also vegetating, and at last the jar will become too small for its
contents ; no watering is needed, the moisture in the earth will exhale,
condense on the glass, trickle down its sides, and so return to the earth
whence it arose."
With regard to the theoretical action of Mr. Ward's closed
fern-cases, the author seems to doubt whether they have not
some influence distinct from that of merely excluding soot,
and thus supplying their vegetable inhabitants with what may
aptly be called filtered air. The experiment cited by Mr.
Newman, and on which he has based his opinion, that some
peculiar action is exerted in addition to that alluded to, is by
no means conclusive ; as it is obvious that the plantules con-
fined in the moist atmosphere of the phial, would, cceteris
paribus, have a better chance of existing, than those exposed
to spontaneous evaporation in the atmosphere, — an action,
against which their feeble vitality could oppose but little
resistance.
" On a hot day in the summer of 1837, I brought home in a tin box
about a dozen seedlings of LastrcBa dilatata, which I had picked out of
moss; each had a single frond of very small size, and extremely minute,
white, and delicate roots. Having a wide-mouthed phial at hand, I put
in it a small quantity of very wet earth ; and then passing a pin through
100 HKVIKWS.
the single frond of one of the seedlings, and pinning it to a cork previously
covered with wet wash-leather, I fixed the cork firmly in the phial, and left
the fern hanging at the head of the pin with its roots downwards. Some
hours afterwards I looked at my little fern, and found it exhibited no symp-
toms of withering; whereas the other seedlings, left carelessly on the ground
beside the phial, were completely dead, and crumbled to powder between
the finger and thumb. I hung up the phial by a string to a nail in the
garden wall, and here it was hanging twelve months afterwards. The
cork was fastened exactly as I left it, but the phial was filled with some-
thing green, which, on taking it out, proved to be a plant of the common
chickweed, but to my great joy the little fern still hung from the pin ; its
roots were longer, it had made two fronds, and the original frond had wi-
thered, but was still strong enough to support the fern."
The value of characters drawn from the venation of ferns is
very properly alluded to as affording a means of distinguish-
ing closely-allied genera : an observation moreover deserving
consideration, from its being generally very distinct in the
fossil species of this tribe, where the fructification ceases to
afford a sufficient or tangible guide.
" Most authors have admitted the importance, for purposes of nomencla-
ture, of those characters which are spoken of by Smith as derived from the
fructification ; but, until lately, other characters of equal value, drawn
from the situation of the veins, have been entirely neglected ; this is now
no longer the case, and I am inclined to believe, that henceforward, in the
veins of a new fem will be sought the characters which shall decide its
genus."
The illustrations display considerable taste, and what is of
far greater moment, correctness. The descriptive part of the
volume is accurately and clearly wTitten, and the list of ha-
bitats is tolerably copious. The reader will at first be sur-
prised by the appearance of several old friends under new
faces, ii-om some alterations of nomenclature introduced by
Mr. Newman, none of which, how^ever, appear to have been
made hastily or unnecessarily ; and in no instance has the
author coined a new name.
Under Lastrcea dilatata (Nephrodium dilatatum) mention
is made of the two remarkable varieties of this fine fem, cha-
racterised by the nearly flat, and the convex recurved fronds.
There is one curious variety not, however, referred to, which
grows under some hedges skirting Hampstead Heath, in w^hich
the frond is often three feet high, and the spores are of a bril-
liant jet black, the indusia being white : the whole plant,
whilst drying, evolving an aromatic odour like woodroffe {As-
perula odor at a).
The closely-allied species of Aspidinm, viz., lohatum, an-
gulare, and aculeatum^ are very correctly treated of as varie-
eties of one and the same plant, arising from accidental
EXTRICATION OF THE IMAGO IN A CRANE-FLY. 101
<;ircumstances connected with soil, situation, &c. ; and Mr.
Newman is inclined to place Asp. Lonchiiis in this group, aS
a variety also. But although he has adduced many plausible
reasons in support of his opinion, we believe that few botanists
will feel inclined to class the sharp and rigid Asp. Lonchiiis
of the Scotch and Irish mountains, with the remarkable vari-
ety of Asp. lohatum termed Lonchitioides, which is not un-
frequently found in the southern counties. We have met
with Lonchiiis growing in abundance by the side of the
source of the White-w^ater, terminating the Glen of Dole in
the Clova mountains, and scattered in patches over the whole
glen, as far as the terrific cascade of Bach-na-gairn ; but we
never saw the slightest variation fiom its normal type : it pre-
served its rigid and even spinous fronds under every variety
of aspect in the glen of Dole. The most perfect specimens of
Aspidiu7n lobatum var. lonchitioides we have met with, were
found in fructijication, in hedges by the side of Buckhurst
Park, at Withyham, Sussex, close to a farm called Florence ;
and these, although observed annually during eight years,
never acquired anything approaching to the rigidity of the al-
pine plant. This question remains, however, sub judice, and
is an interesting one for the practical botanist to determine.
To every lover of British Botany we cordially recommend
Mr. Newman's volume, and we assure him that to us it is not
the less welcome as being the production of a professed ento-
mologist.
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.
Singular mode of extrication of the Imago from the Pupa-
case in a species of Crane-fly. —My attention was drawn,
during the autumn, to some dipterous larvod of a dirty black-
ish colour, among the roots of some moss which grew upon
the plastering of the back wall of the house. From one piece,
about the size of a small marble, which I pulled off, I shook
out no less than seven of them ; some three quarters of an
inch in length : when stretched out to their full extent, as
they were creeping about, their length was nearly an inch. I
had often noticed them previously, in their peregrinations on
the glass of the window, a thing not very usual with the larv(B
of dipterous insects. I tried to rear several during their pwpa
state, but could not succeed. One fine morninji^, about the
10-2 EXTRICATION OF THK IMAGO IN A CRANE-FLY.
middle of October, I observed what appeared to be the body
of a small crane-fly, projecting from the moss ; upon examin-
ing it more closely, I found it was an imago disengaging itself
from \he pupa-case, (there was no appearance of a larva-case):
the head and thorax were very small, but the abdomen was
stretched out, and to all appearance quite rigid, being about
half an inch in length, and one sixteenth in diameter. The
wings were expanded, and spread out at right angles to the
body ; the apex of the abdomen was still enclosed within the
pupa-case ; the legs were not yet extricated from their e,Tu-
vice. The colour of the abdomen was whitish, but, from its
extreme tenuity, owing to its excessive enlargement, it was
perfectly transparent, showing the intestinal canal as a very
dark, fine thread within it. After watching it for some time,
andfuot observing any motion, I thought it had died, as the
previous night had been very cold ; but while I went into the
house for a knife to detach the moss from the wall, it disen-
gaged itself, and when I returned w^as creeping about and
fluttering its wings, the abdomen remaining distended as be-
fore. I pricked it with a fine pin, when it instantly shrunk
to about a line and a half in length, and the thickness of a
common sewing-thread ; losing its transparency, but not its
colour, remaining of an opake white for about half an hour,
when it began to assume its natural hues. On examining the
wall I found numberless exuvice in positions exactly similar
to the one above described, and afterwards observed several
imagoes flying about with the abdomen of the size and colour
mentioned, not having yet assumed its natural dimensions and
appearance. In one the abdomen was considerably reduced
in length, but not in its lateral dimensions ; the cause of so
unusual a condition I suppose to be owing to the length of
the legs, which, when stretched out to their full extent, mea-
sured about nine lines in length. Most other insects make
use of their legs in extricating themselves from their exuviae ;
but in this, owing to their length so greatly exceeding that of
the body, it is evident there must be some other method of
extrication, which is effected by the elongation of the abdo-
men. There were numberless small patches of moss on the
wall, many of them not above a line in extent ; but I could
not find one which was not infested by these larvce, and I
often saw them, after having devoured the roots of the moss
where they had been hatched, creeping about in search of
another habitation. By the end of October they had destroyed
every vestige of the moss, not one living plant of it being
found anywhere on the wall, by the most diligent search. —
James Bladon. — Pontypool. — January 11///, 1840.
HABITS OF THE TOAD. — NATURAL HISTORY. 105
Hahiis of the Toad., its change of Skin, S^c. — Being advised
about two years ago to keep a toad in my greenhouse for the
purpose of destroying ants, I procured one, and find that this
animal eagerly devours not only ants, but earwigs, caterpillars,
small beetles, centipedes, slugs, and I believe all small insects
that may chance to fall in its way, but studiously refusing to
touch them if dead. I likewise am able to affirm the shed-
ding of the skin, a fact which I have not seen noticed by na-
turalists, probably arising from the circumstance of the toad
hiding itself at the time of the operation, and swallowing the
skin afterwards.
In the spring of 1839, the one in my possesson seemed
in a sickly state, looking thin, and refusing food : one morn-
ing I found him under an inverted flower-pot, ( in which I
had cut a hole), evidently in great agony, ( surrounded by a
pool of fluid excretion, with which the surface of his body
appeared saturated ), and apparently choaking. I took it in-
to my hand, and found something hanging fi-om both comers
of its mouth. I took hold of one portion with my fingers,
and drew it easily out, which I threw down, but on the remo-
val of the other piece, I was induced to throw it into water,
when it expanded, and I found it to be half the skin of the
animal, even to the very tips of its toes. The toad was of a
much lighter colour after, than before the operation, and I
find that invariably its colour changes from dark to light,
whenever it emerges from its hiding-place. — Johfi Bright. —
Brixton Hill, Surrey. — January lOth, 1840.
[We believe that zoologists are indebted to Prof, T. Bell,
for the first notice of the above curious circumstances which
accompany the change of skin in the toad, and which are
fully described in the ' History of British Reptiles,' p. 109. —
Ed.]
Information for Collectors in Natural History. — When in
Naples last year, I made the acquaintance of a very zealous
naturalist and collector, who is willing to send to this coun-
try collections of the productions, in various branches of the
Natural History of Naples and Sicily, but more particularly
of the shells, recent and fossil, and insects, either in ex-
change for the shells, recent and fossil, of Britain, or for
payment in money. I can testify to his ability and liber-
ality, and strongly recommend him to the notice of those
w^ho are desirous of collecting the productions of that inte-
resting portion of Europe.
I may add that Mr. Morell is a native of Switzerland,
and w^as, for many years, a conespondent of the well-know n
naturalist, Dr. Leach.
104 HINT TO ORNITHOLOGISTS. — ALYSSUM CALYCINUM.
His address is,
Monsieur JAQUES MORELL,
Chez Messieurs Cotterell, Iggulden. ^ Co.y
Banquiers,
A Naples.
TV. C. Trevelyan. — Edinburgh, 6th December ^ 1840.
Hint to Ornithologists. — Having been lately at a meeting
of scientific friends, where the oft-repeated experiment of
puncturing the small end of an egg and placing it in an ex-
hausted receiver, was performed, to show the existence of
the air globule at the other end, and to illustrate its elasticity,
it suggested to me a neat mode of preparing eggs for collec-
tions, without the necessity of making a hole at both ends,
for the purpose of blowing them in the ordinary manner. —
The amount of air originally in the egg is not sufficient, —
hov^'ever well the receiver be exhausted, — to expel the whole
of the contents ; but if it be exhausted until a portion of the
albumen fall from the e^g, on the re- admission of air, a fresh
portion will be drawn in. On again removing atmospheric
pressure, a much larger quantity of the contents will escape,
nd, by a third or fourth repetition, the whole of the contents
of the e%^ will be evacuated. By reversing the experiment,
a little water may be drawn in to wash the inside of the shell,
and this may be again removed by the former process. By
these means eggs may be prepared for museums without any
further disfigurement than a needle puncture at one end, and
that so small as to be scarcely perceptible. — T. Bell Salter. —
Rijde, Isle of Wight. — Janmary 21s^, 1840.
Alyssum calycinum near London. — Whilst engaged in look-
ing through the parcels of British plants received this year,
for the annual distribution of the Botanical Society of the Lon-
don, I was not a little surprised to find in the parcel received
from Mr. Isaac Brown, of Hitchin, Herts, nearly one hundred
specimens of this rare British plant, found by him in May,
1839, near Hitchin Common, Herts. J. am thus anxious to
make known this circumstance to metropolitan botanists, as
I believe it has never been observed within so short a distance
of London before, and must be looked upon as one of our
rarest British plants. — Daniel Cooper, Surgeon, Curator
B. S. L., S^c — 16, Great James Street, Bedford Row. — Janu-
ary Srd, 1840.
THE MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
MARCH, 1840.
Art. I — View of the Fauna of Brazil, anterior to the last Geologi-
cal Revolution. By Dr. Lund.'
( Continued from page 67 ).
Next to the bats and rodents the most important family with
reference to the abundant relics that one species has left in
the caves, is that of the Marsupials : and of these the Didel-
phis murinus has been already alluded to, in specifying the
contents of the heaps of bones introduced by the owls.
Of the family of Pachydermata, there is one genus in Bra-
zil [Dicotyles), the species of which both habitually frequent
caves, and also use them as places of refuge from their ene-
mies. I have accordingly remarked their traces in many
caverns, and have even followed them far into their dark pas-
sages ; whereas I have only very rarely met with their bones
there. I have in vain sought for either remains or foot-prints
of the tapir, whence I conclude that it does not take refuge in
caves.
Of Ruminants there is also only one genus in Brazil, that
of Cervus, which contains five species, whereof one, of the
size of the musk, is undescribed. This animal does not pe-
netrate into the caverns ; but when their entrances form a
spacious chamber, its footsteps may be frequently seen there.
Only in Lappa Nova de Maquine have I discovered the re-
mains of a single individual of that genus {Cervus rufus), and
in my account of that cave I have already endeavoured to ex-
plain the circumstances of its discovery. I will only add here
that subsequent experience has confirmed me in the opinion
I there expressed. I have since observed in many caves that
lay near to the habitations of man, the uninjured skeletons of
several domestic animals, especially oxen and goats, the exa-
^ Translated from the Danish, and communicated by the Rev. W. Bil-
ton, F. E. S.
Vol. IV.— No. 39. n. s. m
106 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
mination of which clearly explained to me the mode of their
introduction ; namely, that these creatures, whose footsteps I
had often traced in the mouth of the caverns, had undoubt-
edly visited them for the purpose of licking the saltpetre, of
which the crystals cover the surface of the floor ; and that
they had lost themselves in the labyrinthine passages.
Of predatory animals there is no existing species that makes
caves its habitual dwelling-place. I certainly have remarked
an abundance of the foot-prints of the Couguar (Felts concolor),
not only at the entrance, but a long way in the interior of ca-
verns ; but I imagine it only enters them when following the
track of the wild hog or the paca. That it does not use the
caves as fixed dens, I presume from the fact that I have never
found the animal itself, nor the remains of its meals there,
while I have often had opportunities of seeing them in the
woods, even in the immediate vicinity of caves.
The two remaining orders, the Edentata and Quadrumana,
do not enter into the question here, forasmuch as I have not
hitherto found the slightest trace of them in the Brazilian
caverns. However, the imperfect state of our knowledge re-
specting the first of thesd orders, together with the important
part they have played here in a former age, compel me to
take a cursory survey of the species of this class which now
inhabit this part of the New World. It is divided into the
three natural families of the armadilloes, the ant-bears, and
the sloths. I shall commence with the most numerous, and
the most difficult, the armadilloes.
The unfortunate idea of founding the determination and
nomenclature of the species of this family on the different
number of the bands, has introduced such confusion into their
natural history, that most later authors have recognized the
necessity of beginning de novo the systematic arrangement of
these animals. In consequence of these attempts some of the
previous confusion has been removed ; but at the same time
new errors, in my opinion, threaten to creep in, as long as
naturalists will continue to determine these very variable crea-
tures, from individuals kept in collections. In this district of
Brazil there are found four species of this family ; of which
by far the most abundant is the Dasypus longicaudus, Pr.
Max. On account of its universal occurrence it is called by
the Brazilians, the " Tatu-verdadeiro," i.e. the true or proper
Tatu ; which indeed is nothing more than a translation of its
Indian name, Tatu-ete, which has the same signification. —
Marcgraaf has given a very good description of this species,
and under its right names, Tatu-ete, Tatu-verdadeiro ^(p.231),
but by a blunder of the binder, the wood engraving repre-
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 107
senting this species (which by the way is not original, but
borrowed from Ckisius, and very poor), is attached to the de-
scription of Tatu-peba {Dasypus gilvipes, 111.). This blunder
has caused Cuvier to refer Marcgraaf 's Tatu-peba to the one
we are considering ; an error which has even been introduced
into the system by subsequent French zoologists, by the
elevation of the Indian name into the systematic specific
appellation of the species ; so that by Desmarest it is styled
JDasypus peha ; by F. Cuvier, Tatusia peba ! Moreover, it
is identical with the Dasypus octocinctus of Linna3us ; with
Buffon's Cachica7ne, Tatu-ete, and Tatou a longue queue ; as
also with Azara's Tatu negro. Much less common are the
two next species,^ Dasypus gilvipes, 111. and Dasypus gymnu-
rus, 111. The first, as I have said, is called Tatu-peba by the
Brazilians, and is very well described by Marcgraaf, pa. 231.
It is the Dasypus sexcinctus and Das/octodecemcinctus of
Linnaeus ; Buflfon's Encoubert and Cirquinson ; and Azara's
Tatu-poyu. Illiger's name is a translation of the Indian one,
which signifies "the Tatu with the yellow foot ; " and should
be preferred to the later titles proposed by Desmarest, of Da-
sypus Encoubert, or Das. setosus of the Prince of Neuwied.
The other, Das. gymnurus, 111., is called by the Brazilians
*' Tatu de rabo molle ; " that is, the Tatu with the soft tail.
It is the Dasypus unicinctus of Linnaeus ; Buffon's Cabassou
propre ; and Azara's Tatu-ay. This Indian title has been
less happily advanced to the systematic specific name, in the
Das. Tatu-ay of Desmarest ; and Tatusia Tatu-ay of F. Cu-
vier. ^ The largest existing species of this family, Dasypus
Gigas, Cuv. (called by the Brazilians " Tatu canastra "), is
much rarer than the three preceding, and has indeed been
seen by few persons. I only know it from the description of
the Brazilians ; which is also the case with a fifth species,
called " Tatu-bola " by the Brazilians, {Dasypus tricinctus,
Linn. ; Tatu-apara, Marc. ; Tatu-matocco, Azara) ; which
does not occur in this district, but serves to complete the list
of the species of this family existing in the whole of Brazil. ^
^ Cuvier, in his ' Ossem. Foss.' and ' Regne Anim.' ascribes to his cabas-
sou, a tail provided with scattered scales; and applies to itUhe synonyms of
LinucEus, BufFon, and Azara. At the same time he describes, as a distinct
species, one with a naked tail, only armed with scales underneath, near the
end. How far such a specific distinction has any real foundation in na
ture, I dare not determine : I can only affirm that the species which occurs
here, has a tail entirely naked above, and more or less scaled underneath
for the whole of the hinder half: and as Azara gives a similar description
of the Paraguay species, his Tatu-ay, as well as the Tatu de rabo molle,
may be classed among the last, instead of the first two of these species.
* Cuvier indeed speaks of a sixth species brought home by A. de St. Hi-
108 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
The second family, the Ant-bears, contains two species
occurring in this district ; namely, Myrmecophaga juhata,
Linn., and Myr. tamandua, Cuv., the latter of which is very
common, while the first is but seldom met with.
The third family. Sloths, is not found here. It contains
three known species, which are confined to the continuous
belt of forest that covers the coast-line of Brazil, and the
banks of its larger rivers ; in the interior highlands they are
never seen.
Thus we see that seven species of the order Edentata at
present inhabit this district ; one of which, namely, Dasypus
longicaudus, is extraordinarily abundant : three, namely, Das.
gymnurus, Das. gilvipes, and Myrmecophaga Tamandua, are
tolerably common : one, namely, Myrmecophaga juhata, is
very rare : and finally, the seventh species, namely, Dasypus
Gigas, is so scarce that it has been seen but by very few. A
much more extensive variety of species in this remarkable
order of animals inhabited Brazil, in that remote period of
which I shall now proceed to treat ; and they have left re-
mains which, as records of the extraordinary conformation,
comparatively clumsy make, and gigantic size of the animals
when living, must excite our wonder and admiration.
PART II.
Having in my previous communication detailed at length the
circumstances under which the fossil bones occur in the Bra-
zilian caves, I shall now pass at once to a particular descrip-
tion of the species of Mammalia which they include.
First Order, BRUTA,
[In my former paper I adopted Cuvier's name for this order,
Edentata, or teethless animals : but with all my reverence
for the great man from whom this nomenclature proceeds, and
in spite of its almost universal adoption, I cannot any longer
conceal the se ious objections which the use of so improper
an appellation has ever excited in me ; since out of the great
number of species contained in this order, two only are with-
out teeth. Neither can we admit Oken's change of the name
laire, under the name of Tatu verdade, but we have already seen that this
is the name of Dasypus longicaudus ; and as this animal varies exceeding^ly,
it may he easily considered as only a variety of this species. Azara's Ta-
tu-mulita, Tatu-velu, and Tatu-piehy, do not belong to the class of tropical
animals, as they are only found to the south of the tropics, never in Brazil.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL IlEVOLUTION. 109
to that of Zahnarm, or " ill-provided with teeth ; " because
we not only find in this very Order, the greatest number of
teeth yet known in mammals {Dasypus Gigas having ninety- *
six), but also every variety of teeth ; namely, molars in all,
except Myrmecophaga and Manis ; canines in Choloepus and
Bradypus ; incisors in Euphractus and Chlamydotherium.
If we are determined to give this order a name, taken from
the dental system, it cannot possibly be derived from any other
peculiarity than the simple structure of the teeth ; and we
might in that case call this order, Simplicidentata. But I
much prefer Linnaeus' name, Bruta, which he has character-
ized by the absence of incisors ; notwithstanding that he was
compelled to admit some forms not strictly belonging to the
order, from the indeteraiinateness of this character. In addi-
tion to the authority and antiquity of this appellation, it has
the further recommendation of signifying the imperfect or-
ganization of the animals. I translate it by the term Sloths,
or slow animals ; and I think it scarcely possible to find in
their structure or habits any point more characteristic of the
whole order, than that signified by this title. For the first
family of this order which we have to consider, I have hitherto
followed Illiger's name, Vermilinguia ; which, with him,
likewise includes the genus Orycteropus. But further consi-
derations, connected with my discoveries in the fossil Fauna,
having convinced me of the correctness of Cuvier's views, in
placing this animal among the armadilloes, Illiger's term be-
comes inapplicable, particularly as another genus [Echidna),
also possessing the same description of tongue, must be ex-
cluded from this family. However, forasmuch as the genera
belonging to this family are the only mammals entirely with-
out teeth, or any substitute for them, I think it impossible to
employ for them any name more applicable than that of
Edentata^ or teethless animals. For further details on this
subject, I beg to refer to a paper in the ' Monthly Journal of
Literature' for 1832, &c.J
First Family, Edentata, Teethless.
This family consists at present of two principal genera,
Manis and Myrmecophaga : the former of which is confined
to the Old, the latter to the New, World. Among the fossil
remains here, I have discovered traces of the last-named ge-
nus, which are however too imperfect to enable us to determine
more accurately its relation to existing species. The frag-
ments indicate an animal of the size of an ox ; wherefore I pro-
pose for it the temporary name, Myrmecophaga gigantea.
110 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
It is well known that the remains of a gigantic species of
Maiiis have been discovered in the temperate regions of the
Old World : and we thus see that this family of animals ex-
isted in former ages under the same geographical divisions as
now, but under gigantic forms.
Second Family, Effodientia.
Insignificant as are the traces of the last family hitherto
discovered by me, proportionably numerous are the remains
that I possess of the next, the armadilloes. This family is
also now similarly abundant in species, arranged in several
groups, w^hich are so distinguished from each other, not mere-
ly in their dental system, but also in their entire internal
structure, that I cannot but agree with the views of those
later zoologists, who have raised these long-acknowledged
groups to the rank of genera ; which have at least a far better
foundation than a large proportion of the genera established
among the Ferae, Rodentia, and Quadrumana, but especially
in the Rmninantia. This generic division is still more in-
dispensible for many of the extinct species of this family,
which, in very essential points differ from those now existing;
while others, which I shall first examine, show remarkable
coincidences with them.
The only species of the genus Dasypus (Wagl.) that occurs
here, is the one described by Cuvier (Recherches, vol. i. pa.
118) as brought over from Brazil by M. A. de St. Hilaire,
under the name of Tatu-verdadeiro, and which he declares to
be a new species, ' but for which I propose the name Das.
* Should this opinion of Cuvier prove correct, as I confess later examina-
tions lead me to believe it will, then the name of Dasypus longicmidus^
which the Prince of Neuwied, without any further description, has given
to the species of this genus observed by him, certainly must not be applied
to this, which is precisely distinguished from Dasypus novemcinctus by its
shorter tail. On the contrary, I should consider it to be the Das. octocinc-
tus of Linnaeus, for after examining a great number of individuals, of all
ages, the normal number of bands in this species seems constantly to be
eight. I also consider it from the description, and especially from the num-
ber of teeth given, to be identical with the species mentioned by Azara
and Rengger, as belonging to Paraguay, (Tata-hu or Tatu-noire). If these
suppositions be confirmed, of which I entertain little doubt, then the three
known species of this genus will form a very remarkable transition, in re-
spect both of their geographical distribution, and of their size, number of
bands, length of tail, &c. For the largest species {Das. novemcinctus, Lin.
Das. lonqicaudus, Pr. Max.), with seven molars, nine bands, a tail of the
same length as the body, inhabits Cayenne and the northernmost parts of
Brazil ; the middle-sized species {Das. octocinctus, Lin. Das. uroceras, M.),
with eight molars, eight bands, and a tail somewhat shorter than the body,
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. Ill
uroceras, on account of the horny kind of sheath which en-
closes the end of its tail. Among the fossil remains of this
family, I find traces of a species of an existing genus which,
in size, corresponds exactly with the living species ; but as
all the species of this genus resemble each other very closely
in their internal conformation, 1 dare not yet quite decide up-
on the relation between the fossil and the existing species.
Of the generdi Tolypeutes (Illiger) and Priodon (F. Cuv.) I
have hitherto discovered no traces among my fossils. At the
same time I find several bones of species of Tatu, of which
some resemble the corresponding bones of the genus Eu-
phr actus of Wagler, {Dasj/pus, Fr. Cuv., Les Encouherts, G.
Cuvier) ; while others agree more with those of the genus
Xenurus, Wagler, {Les Cahassous propres Cuv.) ; and others
again most resemble those of the proper Dasypus genus. —
Without doubt these bones belong to several different species,
all of considerable size ; but as I am not yet able to speak of
them with certainty, I will leave them for the present, in or-
der to pass on to others, of which I possess either more cha-
racteristic or more perfect remains.
Of the first of the two genera I am about to describe, I pos-
sess indeed only portions of the dental system ; but they are
so characteristic as to be abundantly sufficient, in and by
themselves, to indicate the extinct generic forms. The first
genus I for the present call Euryodon. And before proceed-
ing to describe it I would remark, once for all, that the
generic names which I have found myself obliged to apply to
animals of whose organization I possess but few remains, are
only to be considered as provisional. For although the little
that I do possess of them is amply sufficient to determine
their independence as a genus, it is yet very possible that the
most essential or the most distinctive characters may exist
precisely in those parts of the skeleton which I have not yet
found. However, it was absolutely necessary to give these
new generic forms at least provisional names, for the sake of
brevity and clearness in the following general descriptions.
The teeth of Euryodon are distinguished from those of all
existing armadilloes in this respect, that they are compressed
from the front, backwards, while the others are more or less
laterally compressed ; for the rest, the grinding surface, as in
irequents central Brazil and Paraguay ; while the least of all {Das. septem-
cinctus, Linn., Das. hyhridus, Desm.), with seven molars, seven belts, and
a tail much shorter than the body, occurs only in the extra- tropical part of
South America.
112 NOTES ON HUSH NATURAL HISTORY..
the existing species, consists of two faces, which meet at an
acute angle in a transverse ridge.
If the bones which I have found associated with these teeth
belong to the same animal, they seem to attest a size approach-
ing that of Priodon giganteus.
The second of these genera I call Heterodon, because its
teeth exhibit a much greater want of conformity amongst
each other, both as to their shape and size, than is the case
in the existing armadilloes. Both the anterior and posterior
molars are small and conical ; while the penultimate and
antepenultimate are much larger, the section of the former
being oval and of the latter heart-shaped. The single species
of this genus possessed by me, is of the same size as the
commonest recent armadillo, Dasypus uroceras.
(To he continued).
Art. II. — Notes on Irish J^atural History, more especially Ferns.
By Edward Newman, Esq., F.L.S., &c.
( Continued from page 76 ) .
In the ascent from the lakes of Killamey towards the po-
lice-station on the Kenmare road, I turned a little out of my
way to see the fall of Derrycunhuey. It is very different in
character from O'SuUivan's or Turk, being of greater breadth
and volume but of less height, and having in its channel vast
masses of lichen-stained rock. I never saw such a profusion
of Hymenophyllum as grows on the stones around this water-
fall : the two species were completely intermixed. I spent
an hour searching every dark hole for Trichomanes^ but with-
out success. From the police-station the view over the lakes
is very celebrated ; but I think they lose a great part of their
beauty when seen from so great a height and distance. They
become diminutive, and you see their sinuous outline and
numerous islands as laid down in the maps, but the sweet
variety of colour, and fantastic figure of rocks, which, when
viewed more nearly, form so prominent a part of their attrac-
tions, are here entirely lost. I lingered to take a last farewell
of. those lovely lakes, and to smile on the legendary lore so
highly prized by the dwellers amid this wild scenery : no
mountain-summit, no shady cove, no rocky islet, but has its
fairy tale. The lakes themselves are clearly traced to fairy
origin, as the legend of Norah and Coolin abundantly sets
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 113
forth. The wild country around the lakes admits of little
farming ; but the land north of Killarney is good, and lets
well, — 10s. and 12s. per Irish acre. It principally belongs
to Lords Headley and Kenmare, both highly respected by their
tenantry. One of those touching testimonials, so character-
istic of Ireland, was about to be offered to Lord Headley
shortly after I left : — his tenants intended inviting him to a
public dinner. The Irish landlords appear to be -revered
throughout Ireland, in a manner of which, in England, we can
form no notion ; a few, a very few, exceptions to this may be
met with, in which political landlords have uniformly turned
out the native residents to make room for tenantry more sub-
servient to their views.
The road to Kenmare is over a bleak and wild mountainous
country, but little cultivated. The outline of Macgillicuddy's
Reeks, stretching far away to the right, I thought particularly
fine. I found every possible form of Polystichum aculeatum
growing among the rocks ; also Lastrasa Filix-mas, Las. di-
latata, and Athyrium Filix-foemina. Descending from the
high ground towards Kenmare, I was struck with the great
abundance and beauty of Bartsia vlscosa and Pmguicula
grandiflora ; and, on the high ground, with the size and lux-
uriance of a species of Euphorbia, perhaps Eu. Characias.
The land towards Kenmare belongs, I believe, almost exclu-
sively to the Marquis of Lansdowne. The rent is various :
some little farms, to which farm-houses are attached, fetch as
much as 5s. or 6s. per Irish acre, and I heard of one farm as
high as 9s., but it must be recollected that this price includes
the house, which, on the Lansdowne property, is almost inva-
riably good.
It is a fine wild walk over the hill from Kenmare to Glen-
garriff : the road has lately been cut at great expense and
labour ; it passes through tunnels of solid rock, the last of
which, on the very crest of the hill, is of great length and very
dark, notwithstanding a light-hole in the centre from above.
On emerging from the last tunnel, the view southward beghis
to open ; it is very extensive, and the outlines are rugged and
extremely picturesque. The view varies with every step. —
Bantry Bay, its coves, islands, and sinuous shores, and
the wild hills rising above them, are spread map-like before
you. It was from this descent that I saw that most noble
of our native quadrupeds, the stag, browsing at a distance on
the mountain-side. As I approached Glengarriff there seemed
no end to the variety of form and colour in which rocks and
woods were combined. Holly, arbutus, yew, birch and oak
are the most abundant trees, and they seem to vie with each
Vol. IV.— No. 39. n. s. n
114 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
other in hardihood : they may be continually seen rooted in
the scarcely perceptible clefts of a perpendicular rock, and
throwing their fantastic branches over a river bravi^ling at its
base. The rock itself is so beautiful, and the streams are
fringed with such magnificent Osmmida, that even Killarney
would gain but little by a rigid comparison with Glengarriff.
The rabbits and hares which swarm in this neighbourhood
afford ample entertainment for foxes ; and I am led to believe
that these animals are more numerous here than in any other
part of the kingdom. Hunting, in a country where the foxes
could go to earth at least once in every hundred yards, is out
of the question ; and it is consequently held fair to trap and
slaughter them by wholesale. Otters abound, and are very
destructive to the fish. The golden eagle breeds in Hungry
Hill, the Eagle's Nest, and several other hills on the west
side of Ban try Bay : hawks are most abundant ; ravens, crows,
rooks, jackdaws, and magpies, occur in profusion. Hood-
ed crows and choughs are known here, but are not, as in some
localities I have mentioned, the most numerous birds of the
crow tribe. I did not stay sufficiently long at Glengarriff to
make anything like a list of the ferns ; nor did I notice any
species that I have not already mentioned as common through-
out my journey.
At Lord Bantry's lodge I was extremely amused with the
manifold trophies of defunct stags which are exhibited within
and without the dwelling, and also with the singularly wild
and picturesque character of his demesne. After wandering
about for some time I retumed to the shore, and throwing my
knapsack into a boat, I took the helm, and in a few minutes
four noble-looking fellows were rowing me down Bantry Bay.
I steered first along the western coast, to see the eastern to
greater advantage, but the hills are rounded and insignificant;
I then crossed to Whiddy Island, a fertile and extremely well
cultivated tract, three miles in length, and containing five
hundred inhabitants : from this a fine view is obtained of the
Caha Hills on the west coast. The sea was, for an Irish sea,
extremely calm ; the air perfectly still, and the sky cloudless :
there was a rich saffron tint in the air, which seemed to in-
vest every object with a kind of golden mantle : it appeared
more like what I fancy an Asiatic than an Irish atmosphere.
There was that quiet and balmy feel in the air which we call
an indication of settled weather : I could scarcely believe that
I was in a land where
" Suns with doubtful gleam
AVeep while they rise."
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORV. 115
After landing at Ban try I strolled over Lord Bearhaven's
park and garden, and here I first found Polypodium vulgare
in its very divided form, as discovered by Mr. Mackay in
County Wicklow : it grows abundantly on the park-wall, just
out of the town. The growth of some exotics in the garden
is of extraordinary luxuriance : on the lawn before the house
are some ten or twelve hydrangeas, the smallest of which is
twenty long steps in circumference, and the one which I sup-
posed the largest, thirty-three steps, or at least a hundred
feet. Several species of Erica, and amongst them Erica
Mediterranea, also several Fuschias, were of equally luxuri-
ant proportions, and the laurel contended in vigour with the
native arbutus.
I walked up the hill at the back of the house, through a
herd of fallow deer, which seemed infected by the luxurious
and enervating calm of the evening, and would hardly rise at
my approach. The summit of this eminence was covered
with rooks and jackdaws; I think there must have been mil-
lions, they really blackened the sky when they rose, which
they did with reluctance and soon settled again, some on the
ground, and some on little clumps of young firs, which bent
down with the unusual weight. This eminence commands a
glorious view over the Bay, its islands, Glengarriff, the Caha
Hills, &c., and the extraordinary fall of Adrigoil in Hungry
Hill was just visible, like a thread of silvery light. This cas-
cade appears little known ; few, if any of our tourists have
visited it, and I had never by any chance heard even its name
until now, in its immediate neighbourhood : it is said to be
850 feet in height, which I think will exceed any other in the
kingdom. I lingered till the last ray of the setting sun had
vanished from the Caha Hills and the distant Reeks, — till
the golden flame-tint had left the north-west, and was suc-
ceeded by a green indescribably beautiful ; while the zenith,
and indeed nearly all the other parts of the sky, were of that
exquisite colour which I suppose the Latin poets mean by
the word purpureus, as in
''• Largior hie campos aether et lumine vestit
Piirpureo ; "
and many other passages. This colour rapidly faded, and as
night was fast approaching I made the best of my way to
Ban try.
There are few who happened to be in Ireland on the 30th
of July, 1839, that will forget it. The flood-gates of heaven
seemed opened, and earth appeared about to be visited by a
second deluge : men, women, children, cows, sheep, goats,
116 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
pigs, were swept from the face of the earth : nearly a hun-
dred bridges were totally demolished, and watercourses, —
foaming rivers, — flowed where none were known before. It
began raining about midnight, little more than two hours af-
ter the glorious sunset I have described, and the water seemed
to descend in streams rather than drops during the whole of
the ensuing day.
From Bantry 1 went to Skibbereen : the stony and hilly
country possessed but little that was interesting, and though
farming was attempted, it was the most wretched attempt
I had yet seen. Osmunda, Athyrium Filix-fcemina, and
LastrcBa dilatata^ were abundant, but generally of stunted
growth. Between Skibbereen and Rosscarberry are some
small but picturesque lakes, celebrated for their trout-fishing;
the gillaroo trout being taken in great abundance. Mr. Pen-
nant treats of this as a variety of the common trout; but al-
most every fisherman in Ireland thinks differently, and the
Rev. Mr. Maxwell also appears to treat it as distinct.' I
cannot say much in favour of Mr. Maxwell's zoological at-
tainments; his mistaking the eagle for the osprey, and gravely
quoting Bewick's description of the osprey as an illustration
of the eagle of Achill, is a remarkable instance of his ignor-
ance in the ornithological branch of the subject; but with
fish he is evidently more at home. The gillaroo trout differs
principally from the common trout in the extreme hardness
and gizzard-like structure of its stomach, a character that
especially adapts it to the comminution of the testaceous
Mollusca on which it feeds. It is usually twice the size of
the common trout. It has been said that the gillaroo has only
been found west of the Shannon, but this I am scarcely in-
clined to believe : I have indisputable authority for recording
it as a native of the loughs near Skibbereen, which, though
not to the east of the course of the Shannon, can nevertheless
scarcely be said to be west of that river. The fish from Lough
Neagh figured by Mr. Yarrell^ has little resemblance in form
to the gillaroo of the west, a fish which is more correctly re-
presented by the rough cut in the ' Dublin Penny Journal.' ^
Sir Humphrey Davy says that " the gillaroo trout differs in
appearance very little from the common trout, except that
they have more red spots, and a yellow or golden-coloured
belly and fins, and are generally a broader and thicker fish ;
but internally they have a different organization, possessing
a large, thick, muscular stomach, which has been improperly
' Wild Sports of the West, passim. = British Fishes, ii. 57.
3 Dublin Penny Journal, i. 80.
s NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 117
compared to a fowl's, and which generally contains a quanti-
ty of small shell-fish of three or four kinds ; and though in
those I caught the stomachs were full of these shell-fish, yet
they rose greedily to the fly. The common trouts of these
lakes have stomachs like other trouts, which never, as far as
my experience has gone, contain shell-fish ; but of the gil-
laroo trout I have caught some, not larger than my finger,
which have had as perfect a hard stomach as the larger ones,
with the coats as thick in proportion, and the same shells
within ; so that this animal is at least now a distinct species,
and is a sort of link between the trout and char, which has a
stomach of the same kind with the gillaroo, but not quite so
thick, and which feeds at the bottom in the same way. I
have often looked in the lakes abroad for gillaroo trout, but
never found one." ^
From Rosscarberry to Cloghnakilty the country is pretty
generally cultivated, and a good deal of wheat was in ear. —
Near the town of Cloghnakilty 1 obtained a fine view down
the bay of the same name.^ From thence I proceeded to Ban-
don. Near Innisshannon the country is picturesque, and
the banks of the river Bandon are finely wooded. On ap-
proaching Cork I found the immediate neighbourhood well
cultivated, and intersected with hedge-rows as in England.
There are a great number of trees in the hedge-rows, and
these were shrouded up the sides, a horrible practice, long
sanctioned by fashion throughout England, but seldom ob-
servable in the sister island, where trees are too scarce and
valuable to be treated in this ignominious and injurious
manner.
I believe a tourist might write a good chapter on the town
of Cork, its magnificent jail, its innumerable cars, its splen-
did horses, and its rapid river; but I will not treat on these
topics farther than to say that it is a good-looking town, and
contains 100,000 inhabitants. The river or creek below Cork
is very pretty, the hilly banks 'being loaded with luxuriant
shrubberies and tasty-looking houses. The town of Cove is
prettily situated on an island called Great Island, and is about
ten miles nearer the sea. Its houses are covered with a Mac-
kintosh of slate to shoot off the rain, which is here nearly in-
cessant. The view of Cork Harbour from the upper part of
Cove town is very fine.
At low water, a considerable space of mud being left un-
covered, I had an opportunity of observing the extreme bold-
ness of the curlews, crows, and sea-gulls, which come in
' Salmonia.^
118 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
great numbers close to the town of Cork, apparently attracted
by some fav^ourite food left by the falling tide. The ferns
I observed in the immediate neighbourhood of Cork, were
Lomaria spicant, rare ; Pteris aquilina, rare ; Polypodium
vulgare, very common, and numerous palmated varieties ;
Polystichum aculeatum, Lastrcea Filix-mas and Las. dilata-
ta, Athyrium Filix-foemina, Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum,
Aspl. Ruta-jnuraria, Aspl. Trichomanes, Scolopendrium vul-
gare, Ceterach officinarum, and Osmunda regalis ; and it
should be remarked that these were observable merely in
passing along the main thoroughfares, all of them except the
two first, growing on the walls of the gardens and shrubberies.
From Cork I proceeded northwards, through Watergrass
Hill and Rathcormuck, to Fermoy. The river Blackwater
having, during the late inundation, swept away entire fields
of hay, a vast quantity had been arrested in its progress by
the bridge at Fermoy, and was now collected in large cocks
in the town, presenting a curious spectacle. Ceterach offici-
narum, Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, Aspl. Ruta-muraria,
and Aspl. Trlchomanes, and Scolopendrium vulgare, half-co-
vered the walls between Cork and Fermoy. The country
was apparently well farmed, but otherwise very uninteresting.
From Fermoy to Mitch elstown the country is not so well
farmed, still there is little, if any, out of cultivation. I tra-
velled this distance, and also from Mitchelstown to Sheely's
Inn, half way between that place and Cahir, by Bianconi, but
I found it a loss rather than a gain of time, for several bridges
had been totally destroyed, and temporary crossings of the
most ticklish description served as their substitutes, often
causing very tedious delays. The ferns which I observed by
the way, in addition to the five lately mentioned, were Lo-
maria spicant, Pteris aquilina, both rare, and requiring a
sharp look-out; Athyrium Filix-foemina, Lastrcea dilatata,
and Osmunda regalis, in the usual abundance. Sheely's Inn
is in the county of Tipperary, and midway between Mitchels-
town and Cahir.
Long before I set foot in Ireland I had determined to visit
the caves at this spot. They are usually known as the King-
ston Caves, because situated on the property of Lord Kingston.
Crossing the road from Sheely's Inn, you proceed up a nar-
row lane for about a mile, two low roundish hills rising before
you, which are partially covered with a growth of shrubby
wood. In each of these hills is a cave : that to the right is
the cave of Sheheewrinky, and is also called the Old Cave,
having been known for a great number of years ; and that to
the left the Cave of Coolnagarranroe, being situated in the
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 119
town-land of that name, and is called the New Cave, having
been unknown till the year 1833, when it was explored by a
son of mine host, in company with a man named Condon,
who first discovered its entrance while at work in the quarry.
It is now only to be seen by applying to Gorman, the man
who rents the ground, and who, having had the entrance se-
cured by a door which is kept carefully locked, excludes
all but those who pay handsomely for the entertainment.
Throughout Ireland you either get served for nothing, or pay
ten times as much as in England : there is no moderation.
The Cave of Coolnagarranroe is now exclusively visited. The
little hills containing these caves are described by a geolo-
gist^ as lying " in the valley which separates the Galtee and
Knockmildown chains of mountains, the former constituting
its northern, the latter its southern boundary. The prevail-
ing rock at this extremity of the Galtees is conglomerate,
which occasionally passes into sandstone ; while that which
composes the opposite chain of hills possesses a structure
intermediate between that of sandstone and schist, and in-
cludes few if any rounded or water-worn pebbles. The ma-
terial of the interposed valley is compact grey limestone, and
this rock forms two small rounded hills, &c." Although no-
thing of a geologist, I presume I may venture to assert that
the interior of the cave presents nothing to the eye but the
grey limestone before alluded to by Dr. Apjohn, carbonate of
lime in the infinitely varied conformations of spar, a soft red
clay which appeared partially to cover the floor of the cave,
and to fill many of its crevices, and a fine light-coloured sand
which is present in one chamber only.
Immediately on the door being opened I followed Gorman
down a steep passage of some two or three dozen yards in
length ; after me came Gorman's son, and a " boy " who vo-
lunteered the office of assistant- assistant- guide, brought up
the rear. Each of the four held a candle, and each proceeded
in the position most agreeable to himself; the height of the
passage being somewhat less than four feet, and our own
heights varying between five feet and a half and six feet and
a half This passage was pleasantly varied about the middle
by a perpendicular fall of five or six yards, and here a ladder
was fixed. At its termination the footing becomes tolerably
horizontal, and the aperture wider and higher, and this con-
tinues for about a hundred yards, when I was ushered
into the "House of Commons," a splendid chamber, which
* Dr. Apjohn.
120 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
I should suppose fifty yards in length, twenty to twenty-five
in breadth, and twelve or fourteen in height. Young Sheely
and Gorham gave me the precise measurement, but not only
did they not agree, but their statements considerably exceed-
ed my estimate of the dimensions ; therefore I prefer my own,
which is deduced from steps, when a question of length and
breadth, and from guess, when one of height. The roof is
adorned with an infinity of icicle-like stalactites, and the fis-
sures in the limestone are encrusted with glittering spar : the
floor is almost without a trace of stalagmitic deposition, but
in several places I observed the huge blocks of limestone of
which it is composed deeply pitted with the dropping of wa-
ter from the roof.
I was now led through a passage of perhaps ten or fifteen
yards in length, and of considerable breadth and height, into
the "House of Lords." My childhood's dreams of the Grotto
of Antiparos were here completely realized. I felt that to see
this alone I would gladly have crossed the channel. I know
not how to describe it. Suppose a room a hundred yards
long, thirty yards wide, and ten yards high, — these are not
ascertained dimensions, — suppose the roof beautifully arched
as in Gothic halls, and that arched roof hung all over with
icicles, and suppose some dozen or so of these icicles of vast
size, hanging down till they reach incrusted masses of ice
rising from the floor, and so become graceful pillars support-
ing that vaulted roof; and then you may form some idea of
the extreme beauty of this fairy chamber. One huge pillar is
called the "Tower of Babel ; " and a mass of spar, where the
water containing the carbonate appears to have fallen on a
projecting rock, and so been compelled to trickle in various
directions, thus forming a multitudinous mass of conglomer-
ated stalactites, is called the " Turkish Tent." A third vast
aggregate of spar is called " the Beehive," and a fourth " the
Organ." The similarity of these beautiful masses of spar to
the objects whose names they bear, is very obscure; in the
instance of the organ, however, the pendant stalactites do
really in some degree resemble the pipes of an organ, and
Gorman and his associates followed each other in playing a
voluntary on these pipes, by flourishing their " sprigs " along
them, and thereby producing a sound by no means unplea-
sant. Between these are many large accumulations of spar,
all carefully named, but alas ! I have forgotten the nomencla-
ture ; and almost every part of the floor is covered by stalag-
mitic incrustations, which rise opposite to the stalactites pen-
dant from the roof. In a few instances, however, I observed
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 121
that the continued dripping from the roof, instead of causing
a stalagmitic deposition, had worn small circular holes in the
limestone, as in the " House of Commons."
Leaving this splendid chamber Gorman led me into what
he called the " Long Cave : " the footing here was very bad ;
little was obtained to pay for the trouble, for whichever way
we turned we soon came to a part which Gorman told me was
unexplored, and into which he did not choose to take me.
I think there were seven or eight branches of this " Long
Cave," which he said had never been visited, but the parts
through which I wandered must have measured nearly an
English mile. The floor sometimes consisted of the naked
limestone, sometimes of clay, and sometimes spar, the latter
being rugose and angular, and not possessing a smooth sur-
face like that of the stalagmitic deposition to which I have
before alluded. The roof occasionally exhibited festoons of
spar, resembling wreaths of flowers, and struck me as very
beautiful; but still I was disappointed with this " Long Cave,"
because I fancied that I left so much unseen : and when Gor-
man repeatedly told me that that was as far as we could go,
although I saw a very obvious opening still farther, I could
not help repeating the indignant and emphatic enquiry of the
renowned Miss Squeers, — " Is this the Aend ? "
There is a second opening from the " House of Lords "
leading, as Gorman assured me, to a river, but this river
I could not find : there was, indeed, a puddle, and nothing
more : I have since turned with some interest to see what
Dr. Apjohn makes of the river, but I find he received it on
trust, "such phenomenon was not at the time to be observed."
I thence returned to the " House of Lords," entering that
wondrous place for the third and last time, and thence to the
" House of Commons" for the second time. Three passages
emanate from this chamber, besides that by which I entered
it, and the one leading to the " House of Lords." One of
these possesses little interest, except that its extent is unas-
certained : the two others are but different ways into another
chamber, which is divided into two compartments by a rock
running along the middle : this chamber has some enormous
stalactitic pillars, and one little recess called the " Queen's
Bedchamber," which is exquisitely beautiful, every part of it
being covered with an incrustation of the most sparkling spar,
in great variety of form.
From the "Bedchamber Cave" (I believe this is the right
name) I was led towards another passage, near the entrance
of which stand some enormous masses of stalagmite, and one
Vol. IV.— No. 39. n. s. o
122 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
larger than the rest is called "Lot's Wife."' This passage
leads into the " Kingston Gallery," a straight and narrow
chamber or gallery sixty yards long. The roof and walls,
throughout its entire length, are clothed with spar, which I
remarked here assumes a variety of colours, sometimes bright
red, sometimes barley-sugar-coloured. The beautiful roof
possesses more architectural symmetry than that of any of the
other chambers, and the pendant festoons of spar, resembling
wreaths of flowers and flowing drapery, are most gorgeous.
At two thirds of its length this gallery was originally com-
pletely divided by a transparent curtain of spar, but through
the centre of this an aperture has been made, and the entire
chamber has been thus rendered visible at one view, partially
interrupted however by six stalactitic pillars. The "King-
ston Gallery " leads into a chamber which is nearly square,
and without much ornamental spar; and beyond this is ano-
ther passage or gallery, which runs for more than a hundred
yards in a continuous line with the " Kingston Gallery," and
of which the termination has not yet been found, so that it is
compulsory to return to the square chamber, from which is a
passage parallel with the " Kingston Gallery," and of some-
what similar width and precisely similar length. The bot-
tom of this passage is strewed with sand, and it is conse-
quently called the " Sand Cave; " it contains little or nothing
to attract admiration after the eyes have been feasting on the
gorgeous beauties of the " Kingston Gallery."
The two galleries open side by side, and within a few yards
of "Lot's Wife" already noticed, and immediately adjacent
to another chamber called the "Garret Cave," which appeared
to me more extensive than either of the others. I fancy it is
considerably more than a hundred yards in length, and it va-
ries greatly in breadth. The floor is composed of stalagmitic
masses and incrustations, and blocks of limestone rudely
tossed together, the travelling over which is not very
convenient ; it rises towards the farther extremity, thus
reducing the height in that part. The walls are mostly
sheeted with spar, and the stalactites, like glittering icicles,
and often of very small size, hang by thousands from the roof;
some however are of noble size, and having united with the
stalagmite, form graceful pillars seemingly created pui-posely
for the support of the roof.
I This has been described as stalactitic, but I must allow my original
note to stand, as it was made on the spot; and though I will not lay claim
to infallibility, especially in a science in which I am a confessed ignora-
mus, yet nay impression was and is, that it was the deposition from drop-
ping, not from trickling ; that it had grown upwards, not downwards.
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 123
It will I think be seen from this description, imperfect as I
acknowledge it to be, that the cave of Coolnagarranroe is not,
as generally supposed, a single opening of ascertained size
and figure, but more resembles in its ramifications a vast
mine, in which large excavations have occasionally been
made, and of which no less than thirteen or fourteen obvious
openings yet remain to be explored, offering a fine field, not
merely for adventure but for theory, for who shall say what
wonders are yet undiscovered. I was perhaps rather lazy af-
ter slipping about for seven or eight hours on the soft and
slimy clay, and little inclined to prosecute further researches
at the time, but I have often since regretted that I did not
stimulate Gorman to further exertions while I was present,
for he receives such a revenue from the fleecing of his present
visitors, that he will never take the trouble by himself to make
more discoveries. It is strange that those who manage the
estate on behalf of the proprietor do not, in some way, restrain
the impositions of this greedy man, for the cave being no part
of his taking, he can only by courtesy be allowed the pecu-
niary advantage of showing it.
I have not in this rapid sketch noticed a tenth part of the
curious forms of spar to which my attention was called ;
among these the " Churn, " the " Angel's Head," the " Ava-
lanche, " the " Lord Chancellor's Wig, " and " Aladdin's
Lamp," struck me as remarkably beautiful ; the last is a pen-
dant and somewhat cylindrical sheet of spar, so thin that the
light of a candle is scarcely decreased by being placed inside
it. Perhaps however the most magnificent mass of spar, ei-
ther here, or known in the world, is that called the " Queen's
Mantle." Its appearance is somewhat similar to that which
might be produced by throwing a dozen shawls carelessly
over a pole suspended horizontally, their folds being allowed
to arrange themselves at random, as they hung from the pole
in a confused mass ; the height of this mass is twenty or
twenty-five feet, and the substance so thin as to show very
clearly the flame of a candle held behind it : its extremities
do not quite reach the floor. Owing to the fi-equent disturb-
ance from handling which this and all the most remarkable
objects are constantly undergoing from visitors, most of whom
purchase the right of chipping off and carrying away w^hat
they please, it is much to be feared that the cave will even-
tually be robbed of a great portion of its present beauty.
I did not leave the cave without examining the clay and
sand deposited in cavities under the stalagmitic incrustations
of the floor, in the hope of finding the bones of extinct ani-
mals ; but it was to no puqiose, and I lenvned from Gorman
124 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH.
that similar searches had frequently been made, but always
without success. This leads me to believe in the correctness
of Dr. Buckland's theory, that the cave at Kirkdale was the
actual residence of the hyaenas whose bones it contained, and
that these animals were instrumental in bringing thither those
other animals, of which the bones are mingled with their own.
On my return to Sheely's Inn the rain was so heavy that I
determined to stay there for the night, an example which I
can scarcely recommend any of my compatriots to follow, ex-
cept those who, like myself, are willing to seek information
at the expense of comfort. The landlord favoured me with
his company, as did his son who first explored the cave, and
of course the cave was the principal topic of conversation. I
found Sheeley a remarkably intelligent man ; he possessed a
knowledge of the politics of the day which quite put me to
the blush, for I had not read a newspaper, to the best of my
belief, for full six weeks previously to my visit to him. On
the subject of the cave I learned some interesting particulars,
more especially in relation to the frequent visits paid them by
Lord Kingsborough. He showed me a variety of spars, and
explained them very scientifically, expressing his regret that
the spar should be wantonly broken and carried away by vi-
sitors. Some of my countrymen, in their zeal for science,
had thrown large stones where the stalactites were most
thickly clustered, and thus produced showers of spar, a phe-
nomenon readily obtained, for the slender stalactites break
almost as readily as icicles.
Sheeley told me that the first time Gorman entered the cave
with two or three companions, their candles accidentally went
out and left them in utter darkness. They had advanced so
far that their cries were inaudible above ground, and they sat
down, expecting nothing better than death by starvation.
Gorman having been missed fi*om his home, his son luckily
thought of the cave, and descending with a light restored his
father to the upper world.
(To he continued).
Art. III. — Sketch of the Flora of the neighbourhood of Ipswich :
including the Phtenogamic Plants, the Filices, and Equisetace(s.
By William Barnard Clarke, M.D., F.B.S.Ed.
Ipswich, the county-town of Suffolk, is situated about
seventy miles from London, on the road through Romford,
SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH. 125
Chelmsford, and Colchester, at the confluence of the rivers
Orwell and Gipping. The Orwell commences at the har-
bour, between Landguard Fort on the Suffolk side, and Har-
wich on the Essex side, as also does the Manningtree river
the Stour. Leaving the Stour, the Orwell takes a gradually
winding course for about twelve miles, when it passes the
gentle declivity upon which the town of Ipswich is situated.
Nearly half a mile beyond this it receives the waters of the
Gipping, at the lock which is considered the boundary be-
tween the two : beyond which the Orwell is continued under
the latter name, as far as the town of Stowmarket. The mar-
gins of these rivers afford a variety of plants ; several mari-
time species are met with in the salt marshes on the banks
of the Orwell, whilst the rich borders of the Gipping present
the botanist with a greater number of species. The geologi-
cal character of the country is various : chalk and clay extend
over a considerable portion of the district, and the strata of
sand and comminuted shells (provincially called " crag ") co-
ver most of the south-eastern part, whilst another portion
consists of gravel and siliceous sand. There is also in the
neighbourhood a considerable extent of heath on the eastern
side. The elevation of the higher parts of the district is from
about sixty to one hundred feet ; and the country is exceed-
ingly rich and well cultivated, beautifully undulating, and
contains much wood. The plants growing in the neighbour-
hood are the following, which I shall group together accord-
ing to the natural system of Lindley. There are about 471
phaenogamic plants, 12 Filices, and 4 Equisetacece.
DICOTYLEDONES.
RANUNCULACEiE.
Clematis Vitalba. Common in hedge-rows.
Thalictrum jlavum. In various parts of the borders of the Gii)ping.
Anemone nemorosa. Common in the woods.
Myosurus minimus. Rare in marshes near the Gipping.
Ranunculus Flammula. Boggy parts of Norton Heath, not uncommon.
auricomus. Woods ; rather local.
sceleratus, "'
— bulbosus. I Tv/r v
^^^^c r Marshes, not uncommon.
— repens. I '
— acris. )
— hederaceus. Watery places, local.
aquatilis. Ditches in several localities, common.
FiCARiA verna. {Ranunculus Ficaria). Moist hanks : side of the Gipping,
common.
Caltiia jKilustris. Marshes, very common.
1'2(5 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH.
NYMPH^ACEiE.
Nymph^a alha. Ponds at Holbrook.
NuPHAR lutea. River Gipping, very common.
PAPAVERACEJE.
Papaver Argemone. Fields near Freston, common.
dubium. Cornfields.
Rhceas. Cornfields, common.
Glaucium luteum. Sea-coast at Walton and Felixtow, ten or twelve miles
from Ipswich, extremely common.
Chelidonium majus. Roadsides in several places, but not common.
rUMARIACE^.
FuMARiA officinalis. '\
parvijlora. i Field-sides in several places.
capreolata. )
CRUCIFER^.
Cakile maritima. Sea-shore at Walton and Felixtow.
Thlaspi arvense. Road- and field-sides, apart from gardens.
Capsella Bursa-pastoris. Common everywhere.
Teesdalia nudicaulis. Gravelly fields, local.
Lepidium latifolium. Banks of the Orwell, common.
ruderale. Banks of the Orwell, local.
CocHLEARiA officinalis. Marshes near the Orwell.
Draba verna. Borders of fields &c., common.
Cardamine hirsuta. Road-sides, local.
pratensis. Meadows, common.
amara. Side of Gipping, not common.
Arabis Thaliana. Field-sides.
Barbarea vulgaris. Moist meadow-hanks.
Nasturtium officinale. Ditches, common.
Erysimum Alliaria. Road-sides.
cheiranthoides. Road-sides.
Brassica Rapa. Field-sides.
Sin APIS arvensis. Fields, common.
Raphanus Raphanistrum. Field sides, common.
resedace^.
Reseda lutea. Field- and road-sides on a chalky soil, local.
Luteola. Field- and road-sides on a chalky soil, common.
VIOLACEiE.
Viola odorata. | ^^^^^ ^^^ common.
camna. )
tricolor. Fields and waste ground, common.
POLYGALACE-E.
PoLYGALA vulgaris. Heaths and woods, common.
SILENACEiE.
Saponaria officinalis. Road-sides, local, apparently from gardens.
Silene inflata. Road- and field-sides.
. maritima. Fields near the coast, Walton.
SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH, 127
SiLENE noctijiora. Fields, very local.
Agrostemma Githago. Corn-fields, common.
Lychnis dioica. Road-sides Sec, common.
Flos-cuculi. Meadows and pastures, common.
ALSINACE^.
Stella RiA holostea. Field- and road-sides, common.
graminea. Road-sides and woods, rather local.
uliginosa. Moist woods, not uncommon.
media. Everywhere.
Aresaria peploides. Sides of the Oiwell in several places.
trinervis. Shady lanes, local.
serpyllifolia. Rubbish, old walls, &c., common.
Cerastium vw^cfafwrn.) x" u j j -j
.^ \ h lelds and road-sides.
viscosum. )
aquaticum. Moist hedges, local.
TAMARICACE^.
Tamarix gallica. Walton and Felixtow, ten or twelve miles from Ips-
wich, apparently introduced.
ILLECEBRACE^.
Spergula arvensis. Fields and uncultivated ground, common.
LINACEiE/
LiNUM tLsitatissimum. Fields, local.
catharticum. Chalky fields, common.
MALVACEAE.
Alth^a officinalis. Sides of ditches near Walton, common.
Malva sylvestris. Field- and road-sides, common.
moschata. Road-sides, local.
TILIACE^.
Tilia europcea. Plantations, &c.
HYPERICACE^.
Hypericum quadrangulum. Side of the Gipping &c., common.
perforatum. Road-sides, not uncommon.
humifusum, Road-sides, local.
ACERACEiE.
Acer campestre. Hedge-rows, common.
Pseudo-platanus. Woods, &c.
GERANIACE^.
Geranium sylvaticum. Road-sides, local,
^i robertianum. Road-sides, common.
lucidum. Woods, local.
m^lle. Road-sides, common.
pusillum. I Road-sides, fields, &c., common.
dissectum.) '
Erodium cicutarium. Fields and barren places, common.
128 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPS\^ ICH.
OXALIDACE.E.
OxALis Acetosella. Woods, local.
CELASTRACEiE.
EuoNYMus europcBus, Woods and hedge-rows.
AQUIFOLIACE^.
Ilex Aquifolium. Woods and hedge-rows, common.
LEGUMINOSiE OR FABACE.^.
Ulex europceus. Heaths, common.
Ononis arvensis. Fields at Walton, common.
Anthyllis vulneraria. Chalky meadows.
Trifolium repens. \
pratense. i Fields, common.
— arvense. j
— fragiferum. Plentiful in several pastures.
procumbens. Road- sides, common.
Lotus corniculatus. Pastures, common.
O R^ IT H ovv s perpusillus. Heaths, local.
Vic I A sylvatica. Hedges.
sativa. Field-sides.
sepium. Field-sides and hedges.
Ervum tetraspermum. Road-sides, local.
hirsutum. Road-sides, local.
Lathyrus Nissolia. Fields, very local.
pratensis. Field-sides, common.
" palustris. Moist meadows and woods, not uncommon.
ROSACEA.
Spirjea Ulmaria. Sides of the Gipping, &c., common.
Filipendula. Woods, local.
Geum urbanum. Woods and field-sides, common.
RuBus ccBsius. Hedges.
fruticosm. Hedges, common.
Fragaria vesca. Woods, common.
ToRMENTiLLA officinalis. Heaths, common.
PoTENTiLLA unserina. Fields ; sides of the Gipping, common.
argentea. Road-sides.
vema. Sandy fields, rather local.
Agrimonia Eupatoria. Sides of the River Gipping, common.
Rosa canina. Road- and field-sides and hedges, common.
Eglanteria. Hedges, prohably introduced.
AMYGDALE^.
Prunus Cerasus. Hedge-rows, occasionally.
spinosa. Hedges, common.
VOMEM.
CRATiEGUS Oxyacantha. Hedges, common.
Pyrus Malus.' Woods at Freston.
SANGUISORBEiE.
Alchemilla arvensis. Sandy fields, very common.
SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH. 129
ONAGRACEiE.
Elipobium hirsutum. Sides of the Gipping, ditches, &;c., common.
parviflorum. Moist woods and sides of ditches.
montanum. Freston woods, common.
tetragonum. Moist places occasionally.
palustre. Sides of ditches, frequently.
CJRCMBM.
Circle A lutetiana.
alpina. j ^^^^^^^ Woods, common.
HALORAGE-E.
Myriophyllum spicatum. Marsh-ditches, frequently.
HiPPURis vulgaris. Gipping river, common.
CALLITRICHACEiE.
Callitriche verna. Ditches, common.
— ■ autumnalis. Ditches, frequently.
LYTHRACE^.
Lythrum Salicaria. Sides of the Gipping, &c. common.
CUCURBITACE^.
Bryonia dioica. Hedges, very common.
SCLERANTHACEiE .
Scleranthus annuus. Waste sandy places.
CRASSULACEiE.
Sedum Telephium. Woods occasionally.
acre. Walls and house-tops, common.
reflexum. Old walls, local.
Sempervivum tectorum. House-tops, occasionally.
SAXIFRAGACEiE.
Saxifraga granulata. Meadows, very common.
tridactylites. House-tops, local.
Chrysosplenium oppositifolium. Boggy parts of woods, frequently.
UMBELLIFER-E OR APIACE^.
Hydrocotyle vulgaris. Boggy parts of heaths, common.
Sanicula europcea. Woods by the side of the Orwell, frequently.
Apiv M graveolens. Ditches, common.
SisoN Amomum. Base of moist hedges, and wood-sides, frequently.
^GOPODiuM Podagraria. Lanes, local.
'Rii^ivM. fiexuosum. Woods and meadows, common.
PiMPiNELLA Saxifraga. Chalky meadows, frequently.
SiuM angustifolium. Ditches, common.
Helosciadium nodiflorum. Ditches, common.
(E NAN THE fistulosa. ] xxT * i
f \ Watery places, rare.
JEthusa Cynapium. A troublesome weed in cultivated ground, &c.
FcENicuLUM vulgare. Road-sides, occasionally.
Angelica syhestris. Sides of the Gipping, common.
Vol. IV.— No. 39. n. s. p
130 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH.
Pastinaca sativa. Chalky districts, common.
Heracleum Sphondylium. Eoad- and field-sides, common.
Daucus Carota. Road-sides, frequently.
Caucalis daucoides. Fields, common.
ScANDix Pecten-Veneris. Field-sides, common.
Anthriscus vulgaris. ] -n- ij j j -j r xi
sylvestris. \ ^'^^^- ^^^ ^^ad-sides, frequently.
ToRiLis Anthriscus. Meadow- and field-sides, occasionally.
nodosa. Road-sides, rare.
Ch^rophyllum temulentum. Field- and road-sides, frequently.
CoNiuM maculatum. Road- and field-sides, common.
Smyrnium Olusatrum. Road-sides, local.
Eryngium maritimum. Walton sliore, common.
ARALIACE^.
Hedera Helix. Woods, common.
Adoxa moschatellina. Moist woods, frequently.
CORNACE-E.
CoR^vs sanguinea. Woods, frequently.
CAPRIFOLIACE-aS.
Sambucus nigra. Hedge-rows, common.
LoNiCERA Periclymenum. Hedges, frequent.
Viburnum Opulus. Hedge-rows, local.
LORANTHACEiE.
ViscuM album. Orchards, occasionally.
RUBIACE^E OR STELLATE.
Sherardia arvensis. Fields, common.
Galium cruciatum. Road-sides, occasionally.
. palustre. Moist meadows.
saxatile. Road-sides, frequently.
verum. Fields and road-sides, common.
Aparine. Road-sides, very common.
VALERIANACE^.
Fe1)ia olitoria. Road-sides in several places.
Valeriana dioica. ) g.^^^ ^^ ^^^^-^ occasionally.
ojficinalts. )
pyrenaica. Woods at Freston, three miles from Ipswich.
DIPSACE-E.
Dipsacus sylvestris. Sides of the Gipping and Orwell, common.
ScABiosA succisa. Pastures, occasionally.
Knautia arvensis. Common hy road-sides, pastures, &c.
{To be continued.)
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CArrURE OF ARGYNNIS APHRODITE, l31
Art. IV. — Notice of the Capture of Argynnis Aphrodite in War-
wickshire. By The Rev. W. T. Bree, M.A.
I HAVE the pleasure of announcing to the entomological read
ers of the ' Magazine of Natural History,' the capture of an
insect in this county which I believe to be hitherto entirely
unheard of as a British species, — the Ai-gynnis Aphrodite.
A single example of this fine insect was taken by James Wal-
house, Esq., of Leamington, in Ufton Wood, a few miles from
that town, in the summer of 1833, and was kindly presented
to my son, in whose possession it now is, by Moreton J. Wal-
house, Esq., the brother of the captor.
In thus announcing this interesting addition to our native
Fauna, I am prepared to expect that entomologists may be a
little sceptical on the subject, if they do not altogether dis-
believe the fact. ' We know but too well that dealers will,
without scruple, play all sorts of tricks — frauds, I ought to
say, — by attempting to pass off foreign articles for native
ones, whenever it may suit their purpose. We know too,
that even honest collectors are not absolutely exempt from
occasional mistakes, and that, accordingly, a stray exotic does
now and then creep into the British cabinet quite surrepti-
tiously. Again we are told, and I believe told truly, that in-
sects are not unfrequently imported, either in the e^g, larva,
or perfect state, with timber or other suitable merchandise.
And lastly, we hear of Lepidopterous insects in the winged
state, being blown over from the continent to our shores, if
they have not undertaken a voluntary voyage thither. Bear-
ing these circumstances in mind, and wishing as far as pos-
sible to anticipate objections, I deemed it right to obtain, and
trust I shall be excused for stating, all the particulars I could
learn relative to the subject of the present article. Let us sift
the evidence, then, and see how the above objections bear
upon the case before us.
And first for fraud : the specimen of Argynnis Aphrodite
now before me, let it be remembered, has never been in the
hands of a dealer, nor in the possession of any other person
except Mr. Walhouse and his brother, from whom, as already
said, my son received it. These gentlemen are men of the
highest respectability, quite above all suspicion of intentional
deception. I may add, too, that at the time the insect was
taken, Mr. Walhouse was only just beginning to pay atten-
tion to Entomology. The immediate object of his visit to
Ufton Wood was for the purpose of taking Argynnis Paphia ;
and so little acquainted was he at that time with our British
Papiliones, that in the first instance he even doubted whether
132 CAPTURE OF ARGYNNIS APHRODITE.
this specimen of Arg. Aphrodite were anything more than the
usual sexual distinction of Arg. Paphia. I mention this cir-
cumstance in order to show that Mr. Walhouse was not at
first aware of the prize he had taken, and therefore can hardly
be suspected of having been actuated by the false feeling,
which might induce a dishonest person to pretend to have
been the discoverer of a new British species.
But acquitting these gentlemen (as we do entirely) of any-
thing like wilful misinformation, may we not suppose that
they have fallen into a mistake, and have inadvertently allow-
ed a foreign specimen to gain admission among their British
ones ? This is a fair question, and desei'ves consideration. —
Mr. James Walhouse is now in India, and cannot conveni-
ently be examined in the matter. On his leaving this country
his collection of insects remained in the possession of his bro-
ther, Mr. Moreton Walhouse. Now I have narrowly cross-
examined this gentleman as to the possibility of a foreign
specimen having found its way into their collection of native
insects ; and he assures me, in reply, that they possessed no
foreign insects whatever, till long after the time when Arg.
Aphrodite was taken. And, what is more to the pui'pose,
Mr. Moreton Walhouse informs me, that although he was not
in company with his brother at the capture of Arg. Aphrodi-
te, he yet himself saw the specimen as soon as it was brought
home, while the wings were yet limber, and before the spe-
cimen was set. Both gentlemen also were immediately aware
of the great dissimilarity of the insect to any other with which
they were acquainted, though they knew not what to make of
it. Under these circumstances, therefore, I cannot withhold
my own belief of the fact, that the individual specimen of
Ai^g. Aphrodite now before me, was actually taken at Ufton
Wood, as above stated.
But next comes the question of importation ; in answer to
which it is sufficient to state that Ufton Wood is situated in
a thinly -populated part of the country, remote from any port
or large mercantile town, a spot, therefore, extremely unlikely
to have been the depository of an insect accidentally trans-
mitted from abroad among articles of foreign produce.
Lastly, as Arg. Aphrodite is a native of North America,
(and not, I believe, of the European continent), the notion
that the specimen had, either by accident or design, made its
way across the Atlantic, and settled down, in a state of good
preservation, as nearly as may be in the centre of our own
island, is too improbable to be seriously entertained for a
moment.
I regret that Mr. Walhouse omitted to record the precise
NOTES ON TELEPHORI. 133
date of the capture of Arg. Aphrodite ; but as it occurred
during the season when Arg. Paphia was on the wing, it
must, most probably, have been in July or August. We may
conclude also that the period of flight, with both insects, is
the same.
The accompanying figures (Sup. 111. PI. x.) supersede the
necessity of entering into a minute description of the insect.
It is larger^ than Arggnnis Paphia, and of the same rich ful-
vous colour, checkered and spotted with black, on the upper
surface. The black spots and markings on the second pair
of wings are niether so large nor so strongly developed as in the
corresponding wings of that species, and oi Aglaia and Adip-
pe ; to which latter species our insect more nearly approaches
on the under surface, having the second pair of wings adorned
with numerous silver spots on a buff'-coloured ground, which
is dark towards the base of the wings, and becomes lighter
towards the lower extremities, with a marginal row of semi-
circular silver spots. In the grouping of our British species
I should feel disposed to place Arggnnis Aphrodite between
Arg. Paphia and Adippe, possessing, as it does, some cha-
racters in common with each, while it is yet abundantly dis-
tinct from either.
Art. V. — Notes on Telephori, By Peter Rylands, Esq.
The object of the present notice is to clear up the synonymy
of Telephorus ater, and to correct some errors into which
Mr. Stephens has fallen respecting that and allied species.
As a text to the remarks which I have to submit on this
subject, the following descriptions of Tel. ater dcadiflavilahris
from Mr. Stephens's * Illustrations ' may be given.
'^ ater. Ca. ater, Linne. Te. ater, Steph. Catal. 130,
No. 1322.
" Elongate : head black : mouth testaceous : thorax fuscous black with
the margin testaceous : scutellum and elytra also of the same hue, the latter
clothed with a griseous pubescence : abdomen black, with the apex broadly
flavescent or pale testaceous : femora black : tihice entirely of the latter
colour: tarsi fuscescent: antenna with the three basal joints flavescent,
the rest black. — Long. corp. 3-3^."
'^Jlavilahris. Ca. Jlavilahris, Fallen. Tel. Jlavila-
hris, Steph. Catal.
' I am informed that the specimens of Argynnis Aphrodite in the British
Museum, are generally larger than our individual.
134 NOTES ON TELEPHORI.
" Oblong, black : with the mouth, the three basal joints of the antenna,
the margins of the thorax, the disc of which is very glossy, the tihicB, and
apex of the abdomen, pale testaceous : palpi fuscous. Long. corp. 3-3^.
" This closely resembles the preceding species, but it is of
a deeper black, &c." — * Mandibulata,' iii. 295.
It will be evident on examination that the two descriptions
now quoted do not present sufficiently distinct characteristics
to justify the adoption of both as species. Either Mr. Ste-
phens's ater must be a variety of his ^avilabr is, or vice versa.
Both are acknowledged to be very "variable," and yet the
only mark of distinction given as permanent, is WidXJlavila-
bris differs from the other by being of a " deeper black " !
This surely cannot be considered sufficient for establishing a
species ; and a fact which has been stated to me by my es-
teemed friend, J. C. Dale, Esq., F.L.S., seems to prove that
even this slight peculiarity cannot be relied upon, — his spe-
cimens (named by Mr. Stephens himself), Mr. Dale informs
me " are not so dark."
The above remarks I think lead to the conclusion that Mr.
Stephens's ater and Jlavilabris are one and the same species.
I believe, however, that I shall be able to show that the true
ater (of Linne) and Jlavilabris (of Fallen) are distinct.
My attention was directed to this point by capturing a spe-
cimen of Telephoriis at Egremont, near Liverpool, which did
not agree with any of Mr. Stephens's descriptions, and which,
for some time, appeared to me to be an entirely new species.
Referring however to Paykull, I found that his description of
Tel. ater of Linne did not agree with the description of ater
given by Mr. Stephens, but that it did agree with my speci-
men. It appears evident, therefore, that previous to the oc-
currence just mentioned, the true ater has not been recorded
as taken in Britain, although a spurious ater has been for
some years entered in our Fauna. In this opinion I am sup-
ported by the fact that in the last edition of his * Guide ' Mr.
Curtis places an X before Tel. ater, Lin., denoting that he
has only foreign specimens of it. And I think that entomo-
logists, when they compare Mr. Stephens's descriptions with
the following one of my specimen, and with Paykull's of the
Linnaean ater, will be convinced of the coiTectness of the
above remarks.
Description of a specimen of Telephoriis captured near
Liverpool in 1838; and presumed to be Tel. ater of Linne.
Elongate : head, thorax, and elytra entirely black, the latter v/ith a gri-
seous pubescence : antennae with the basal joint testaceous: femora black
with the apex testaceous ; tibice of the latter hue : tarsi fuscescent. Long,
corp. 3i lin.
NOTES ON TELEPHORI. 135
Description of Tel. ater from PayliuU.
" Caput nigrum, antennae elytris fere longiores basi rufescentes. Thorax
niger, convexus, margiuatus, antice rotundatus postice subtransversus, vix
latitudine longitudinis. Scutellum subtriangulare, nigrum, apice obtuso.
Elytra nigra, punctulata, thorace paulo latiora et latitudine plus triplo long-
iora. Alee fusco-hyalinas. Pectus et abdomen nigra. Tibice saepius fusco-
pallidee rarius ferruginge. Tarsi jam nigri jam fusco-pallidi." — ' Fauna
Suec' Insecta. tom. i. 266-7.
The point in which Telephorus ater chiefly differs from
Tel. Jlavilahris, and the specimens erroneously designated
Tel. ater hy Stephens, consists in the thorax being entirely
black. I communicated the above descriptions to Mr. Dale,
and requested him to inform me whether any of his speci-
mens of Telephori agreed with them. His reply is in the
negative, and furnishes additional evidence that the Linnaean
ater has been mistaken by Mr. Stephens, who has rather
carelessly (it must be confessed) placed under that designa-
tion specimens having no distinctive characters, and evidently
only varieties oi flavilahris.
The genus Telephorus still requires much attention in or-
der to elucidate its contents. Tel. fulvicollis^ iridis, affinis
(var. oi fulvicollis ?), cantianus (var. of pellucidus ?), and
others, require a strict investigation, in order that the species
may be correctly characterised, and the mere varieties ar-
ranged as such. In the forthcoming ' Synopsis' of Mr. Curtis
it is to be hoped that much of this confusion will be obviated,
and many errors in this and other groups corrected.
The synonyms of the two species confounded by Mr. Ste-
phens may be given as follows. —
1. Telephorus ater.
Cantharis atra^ Linn. * Syst. Nat.' ii. p. 649.
„ „ Fabr. 'Ent. Syst' i. p. 215.
„ „ PaykuU, ' Fauna. Suec. Ins.' i. 266.
2. Telephorus Jlavilahr is.
Cantharis JlavilabriSy Fallen. * Mon. Canthar.' i. 12.
„ „ Gyllen. ' Ins. Suec' i. 337.
„ picea, Kirby, MSS. Steph. 'Catal.'
Telephorus JlavilabriSf Stephens, 'lUustr. Mand.' iii. 294. * Ent.
Edin.' 211. Vars. ^,nigrina, Kirby; y, dissimilis, Marsham;
d, ater, Steph
Warrington, Jan. 27th 1840.
k
136 OCCURRENCE OF TESTUDO CARETTA
Art. VI. — Notice of the Occurrence of a living specimen of the
Testudo Caretta on the Coast of Devonshire. In a Letter address-
ed to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., by Mr. W. Wilcox.
East Hill, Wandsworth,
19th Feb. 1840.
Sir,
I send you an extract from a letter I have just re-
ceived from my friend, Mr. William Wilcox, of Biddeford,
North Devon, which I think will interest some of your read-
ers, as it announces the arrival on our coasts of a stranger,
which had never visited us before.
" I should have sent you the following particulars long be-
fore this, but I have had no opportunity of examining the
subject of your enquiries until now, — he having been on his
travels since the date of my last to you. Indeed, the old say-
ing of " it's an ill wind " &c. has been decidedly correct in
the present case, for I believe the fortunate discoverers of this
amphibious stranger have derived a very considerable advan-
tage from showing him here, and in the adjacent towns, at
the small charge of 2d. each person ; thus deriving a profit
from the extraordinary gales of 1840.
" I forget the precise date on what he was found, but know
that it was two days prior to the date of my last, if you still
have it to refer to. ' It was lying on the beach at the mouth
of the river Tor, about half a mile from the village of Inslow.
When I saw it, it was in a very torpid state, and about ten
days after it was discovered, it died. It has not been weigh-
ed, but has been handled by myself, and by several others
more conversant with such matters, and pronounced to be
about 200 lbs. ; and it is fair to suppose, that before its arri-
val into the cold waters of our climate, it must have weighed
considerably more. Its extreme length after death, when the
neck hung out from under the shell, was 4 feet 5 inches, and
its breadth, 2 feet 9 inches ; but this measurement was, in
both instances, made by running a line over the convexity of
the shell, which of course adds something to the actual length
and breadth. Having no better book to refer to than the
abridgement of Cuvier which came out in numbers a few years
ago, I speak with some diffidence when I call this animal the
Testudo Caretta ; but as the other species appears to have
fifteen scales, there can be little doubt about it, if the said
^ Mr. Wilcox's letter is dated 30th January, and the turtle must there-
fore have been discovered on the 28th January.
ON THE COAST OF DEVONSHIRE
137
book is right. There are also other peculiarities, which serve
to confirm me in this opinion. There is a ridge, although a
very inconsiderable one, running along the centre of the mid-
dle scales ; and the toes, two on each fin, are strongly deve-
loped, the larger one on the anterior fin being an inch and a
quarter in length. Should you, on reference to better works
on the subject than I can procure at this distance from Lon-
don, think with me that this is the Caretta, it will next be-
come a question whether he visited these shores through the
agency of man or the elements ; and on this part of the sub-
ject I must say that I am strongly inclined towards the latter
opinion ; for certainly I never in the course of my experience,
remember weather more favourable to such a result. For
three weeks prior to the day he was found, there had been
one uninterrupted gale from the West-South-West, excepting
only once or twice for an hour or two, when the wind shifted
a few points nearer to the North. Now supposing him to
have been an inhabitant of the seas to the northward of the
Azores, and on this subject I speak with deference to your
greater knowledge, such a gale as I have described would
have brought him here, lying, as I presume he did, on the top
of the waves, at the rate of several miles an hour. And on the
other hand, there is no great likelihood of his having been
washed from on board any ship, inasmuch as both his flesh
and shell are nearly valueless, and therefore it is improbable
that any one should have taken the trouble of bringing him to
this country.''
Mr. Wilcox having favoured me with a sketch of the turtle
fonning the subject of the above extract, with dimensions of
the various parts, taken apparently with great accuracy, T will
add the following particulars from his data, which 1 think
will serve to illustrate the subject more fully.
Total lenglk of the dorsal and marginal plates 2 feet 11 inches.
Total width of ditto 2
9
These measurements are taken over the convex surface.
The dorsal plates, fifteen in number, commencing from the
fore-part, measure as follow. —
First lateral plate Q^ inches broad, 3i inches long.
Second ditto 12 ditto, 5i ditto.
Third ditto 12^ ditto, 6 ditto.
Fourth ditto 11 ditto, 6 ditto.
Fifth ditto 7 ditto, 7 ditto.
First central plate ... 5^ ditto, 4 ditto.
Second ditto 6 ditto, 6^ ditto.
Third ditto 6 ditto, 6 ditto.
Fourth ditto 6 ditto, 6 ditto.
Fifth ditto 6 ditto, 6 ditto.
Vol. IV.— No. 39. n. s. q
These mea-
surements give
greatest
the
length and
breadth of each
plate.
138 NOTICE OF THE LAND-SLIP
Head from fore-part to the posterior margin of the scales, 10^ inches.
Ditto, width across the eyes, 6^ inches.
Fore-fin, length of scaly portion, 1 foot 5 inches.
Ditto, greatest width, 6 inches.
Hind fin,length, 8 inches.
Ditto breadth, 6 inches.
There can be but little doubt of the animal under consi-
deration being the Testiido Caretta of Linnaeus, the Chelonia
Caretta of modern authors. It agrees with the figures and
descriptions of this creature in my possession, except that the
middle row of dorsal plates have not a very elevated ridge
along their centre. The fifteen dorsal plates and great length
of the fore-fin or paddle, with the well-developed toes, dis-
tinguish this species from the common green turtle so much
in repute among epicures.
I remain,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
W. Wilson Saunders.
To the Editor Mag.Nat. Hist,
Art. VII. — Notice relating to the recent Landslip on the Devonshire
Coast. By John Young, Esq., in a letter to the Editor.
My visit to the landslip at Culverhole Point, near Axmouth,
was of so hasty a nature as scarcely to warrant my attempting
any description of the phenomena which came under my no-
tice. I have moreover, for the last twenty years, given my
attention to Horticulture rather than to Geology, and fear
therefore, that I shall fail in furnishing such an account as
would interest those of your readers who are acquainted with
the latter science, and that my unlearned description will be
hardly worthy a place in your journal.
My ignorance of the original position of the ground where
the subsidence has taken place, is one disadvantage under
which I labour. It appears, however/ that numerous catas-
trophes of a similar kind had taken plice on this part of the
coast at remote periods, forming whit is called the Under-
cliff, and let it be remarked, that it is in connection with a
part of this Undercliff, about a mile to the east of Cul-
verhole Point, that the sinking of the ground on the 24th
December last commenced, taking a direction towards the
ON THE COAST OF DEVONSHIRE. 139
north-west, continuing in this course about half a mile, then
gradually bending to the south, till it meets the shore at or
near Culverhole Point, its western extremity. The level of
the ground, in which this ravine has been formed varies con-
siderably ; its deepest part showing cliffs of 200 feet perpen-
dicular height, whilst at the extremities adjoining the Under-
cliff, the level is not greatly changed, and the line of subsi-
dence marked principally by numerous small fissures in the
ground, by the fall of trees, &c. The present appearance
of the ravine is highly picturesque, for notwithstanding the
depth of the chasm, and the almost entire giving way of the
sub-strata, there are numerous columnar, tower-shaped, and
pyramidal masses of the chalky limestone, standing in the
deepest part, apparently unmoved, and which, particularly
when viewed longitudinally, form a striking group, whilst
around and beneath them the furrows of the corn-fields can
be traced nearly in the state the plough had left them. The
character of this late subsidence differs materially from that
of those which have preceded it, — the latter having taken
place in that part of the land immediately adjacent to the
sea beach,- the one now under consideration having left the
outer portion of the cliff almost entirely unmoved ; and this
circumstance viewed, in connection with the reef which has
been upraised in the sea, makes the unaltered position of the
cliff the more remarkable : it was this part of the scene which
attracted much of my attention, particularly the reef, ( for I
know of no better name for it), which was formed simulta-
neously with the sinking of the land ; consequently, there
must have been a connection between the causes which pro-
duced these two phenomena, — the lower or west extremity of
the reef, commencing at or near Culverhole Point, forming a
segment of a circle, ( a little irregular in its shape), runs into
the shore, at the eastern extremity of the subsidence ; — the
reef is composed of the original bed of the sea upheaved,
without disturbing, to any considerable extent, the masses of
stone with which it is covered ; and without injuring the beau-
tiful sea-weeds which appear to have luxuriated in the
habitat which they had chosen, for they had covered the
stones like a carpet ; and so gently must this extraordinary
upheaving have taken place, that scarcely a fibre of these
beautiful marine plants exhibits traces of injury. The main
bulk of the reef is composed of what appears to be indurated
sand, or possibly a bed of marl connected with the lias for-
mation ; the seaward face of it stands about 25 feet above
high-water-mark, at its highest point at the east end, whence
140 ON AFFINITY AND ANALOGY.
the whole gradually sinks as it runs westward ; and when it
reaches the western extremity of the subsidence, it is scarcely
distinguishable at high water : it is said that previously to
24th December last, vessels sailed over the whole of this
ground.
I would gladly enter into the subject of the probable cau-
ses which have been instrumental in producing the changes
I have described, but as my acquaintance with the Geology
of the neighbourhood is very limited, I must not venture
upon any thing further than the above hasty sketch of this
interesting spot : I must not, however, omit to refer to the
fact, that the chalky limestone, which, I believe, forms the
upper stratum of the rock of this part of the county, over-
lies a bed of loose sand, the action upon which, of the su-
perabundant rains of 1839, added to the same agency carried
on through past centuries, conspired in producing the phe-
nomena I have been endeavouring to describe. If the an-
serine tribe had the power of speech, they could give valuable
evidence, as it is said, that some of that family made a sub-
terranean voyage from a neighbouring farm into the sea. —
I must, en passant, tell you of another report ; it is said, that
a few years back, some persons in digging a well, at or near
Axminster, about 5 or 6 miles to the northward of the sea-
coast, came to a bed of sand through which a rapidly flowing
stream was passing towards the ocean, and that they had the
curiosity to throw into it a few bushels of charcoal, which
made its appearance in the sea, about three miles eastward
of the mouth of the Axe.
I hope Professor Buckland, ( w^ho, I understand has visited
the spot), or some other eminent Geologist, will give us his
opinion on the causes which have led to these phenomena ;
and which, it appears to me, will tend to throw much light
on the formation of many narrow and deep valleys, in cer-
tain districts of this country.
Elm Cottage, Taunton,
Feb. 2lst. 1840.
ON AFFINITY AND ANALOGY. 141
Art. VIII. — Observations upon the relationships existing amongst
JVatural Objects, resulting from more or less perfect resemblance,
usually termed Affinity and Analogy, By J. O. Westwood, Esq.
F.L.S.
In the fourteenth volume of the ' Transactions of the Linnea
Society, ' is contained an interesting paper by the Rev. W.
Kirby, with the title, " A Description of some Insects which
exemplify Mr. William S. Macleay's Doctrine of Affinity and
Analogy; " wherein the reverend author points out the confu-
fusion which has occasionally arisen, in attempts made to
distribute the objects of nature according to their natural rela-
tions, in consequence of the authors of such attempts having
no clear perception of the distinctions which exist between
these two kinds of relations, and therefore confounding them
together, or even occasionally giving the higher rank to rela-
tions of analogy instead of affinity.
Since the publication of this memoir (which was read in
1822), and of the 'Horse Entomologicae' (one of the theories
contained in which it was intended to illustrate, and which
was published in the preceding year), much has been written
upon thes ubject of affinity and analogy in Natural History by
men who have brought a great share of practical knowledge,
as well as philosophical research, to bear on the subject.
Still however it is unquestionable that great misconception
has existed and still exists upon this subject, owing, it is true,
to many causes which, it is to be hoped, are gradually pass-
ing away. The novelty of the subject, that is, as regards the
practical distinction between these kinds of relationships, and
their employment as respective elements in the natural distri-
bution of animals ; the difficulty of general access to the chief
works wherein the nature of the distinctions between affinity
and analogy are traced ; and, above all, the dislike of uproot-
ing long-established opinions, and the substitution of others
which required from their supporters a far more extensive ac-
quaintance with the objects of nature than was required in
the old works on classification; — have tended, in a great
measure, to prevent a general recognition of the doctrine of
affinity and analogy. Thus some writers have maintained the
impossibility of the existence of any relation between ani-
mals which are not specifically related, contending that each
is,/?^r se^ totally independent of the rest: others again, look-
ing rather more widely at nature, perceive that as the plant
gives support to the insect, and the insect to the bird or the
bat, so there is a relation between these objects, which kind
of relation, and others of a similar nature, have by these wri-
ters been termed analogies : others again, admitting the ne-
142 ON AFFINITY AND ANALOGY.
cessity of the existence of some kind of relationship founded
upon similarity of structure, in order to establish thereon a
distribution whereby species are endeavoured to be arranged
according to their greater or less similarity of organization,
have admitted only one kind of relationship or resemblance,
as they have termed it, regarding affinity and analogy as only
synonymous with resemblances.
The first and second classes of these writers may be dis-
missed from our notice in a veiy few words. If we admit
that there be a system of nature wherein animals are arranged
and distributed, we must admit the existence of relations
founded upon structural similarities or differences ; and these
relations, according to their degree, constitute what have been
termed affinity and analogy, the distinctions of which are
overlooked by the third class of writers, who however ac-
knowledge structural relations or resemblances.
It appears to me, however, that notwithstanding all that
has been said by the supporters of the doctrine of affinity and
analogy as distinct relations, not a small share of the miscon-
ception which has prevailed upon the subject with professed
distributionists, has resulted from the silence of the former
concerning what appears to me to be a fundamental principal
in the theory, which may be stated as follows.
Relations of affinity and analogy have their origin in more
or less perfect resemblances of structure or habits, and are of
comparative and relative value ; and hence that distinct rela-
tions, both of affinity and analogy, exist between the same
groups.
Much has been admirably said respecting the immediate
and the remote relations of objects, and the differences
between their symbolical relationship and their natural affini-
nities, whilst at the same time many excellent examples have
been given in illustration of their distinctions. Amongst the
latter, none have been more striking than that employed by
Mr. Swainson in his ' Treatise upon the Natural System of
Animals,' illustrating the relation of affinity existing between
the swallow and the goat-sucker, and the relation of analogy
between these and the bat.
In applying this example as a practical illustration of the
principle above laid down, it will scarcely be deemed neces-
sary, in the first place, to enter into any argument to prove
that relations of affinity, as well as of analogy, have their ori-
gin in more or less complete resemblances of structure or
habits : indeed, one of the most strenuous advocates of the
doctrine in question, has observed that " every created being
has different degrees of relationship or of resemblance to
ON AFFINITY AND ANALOGY. 143
others," constituting its relations of affinity and analogy. It
is in consequence of the more complete resemblance in the
numerical majority of the essential characters of the two
beings or groups of beings contrasted together, that the rela-
tionship becomes one of affinity ; while from a resemblance
in the numerical minority of such essential characters, the
relationship is deemed an analogy.
In proceeding with our examination of the principle above
stated, it will be necessary that in addition to the swallow,
the goat-sucker, and the bat, we extend our views to the mar-
tin, the swift, and the dragon-fly; all which are distinguished
by their large wings when extended in action, their rapid
motions, large mouths, and insectivorous hawking flight.
The swallow and the martin are two birds belonging to the
same genus (Hirimdo), and resembling each other in the
greatest possible number of their essential characters ; they
are therefore allied together by an affinity of the first or high-
est degree. Between these birds and the swift, a bird be-
longing to a different genus but to the same family, we find
an affinity of a lower, or second degree. A third or still low-
er, is found between the goat-sucker, belonging to a different
tribe, and the three preceding birds. Again, as vertebrated
animals, the bat and the four birds above mentioned exhibit
an affinity when compared with animals belonging to the four
invertebrated sub-kingdoms, whilst as members of the animal
kingdom, and compared with members of the vegetable king-
dom, the dragon-fly (an invertebrated animal) and the five
vertebrated animals above alluded to, are related together by
affinity.
It may however, and probably will be, said, that in the case
of the two last-mentioned animals (thebat belonging to the Ver-
tebrata, and the dragon-fly to the Annulosa), I am confound-
ing analogy with affinity. I however maintain the contrary
to be the case, asserting that these relations are strictly com-
parative and relative; that if the relation between the swallow
and the martin, as species respectively possessing the charac-
ters of the next higher group (that is, genus), when compared
with the swdft or any other bird belonging to the other groups
of the next higher rank be deemed an affinity ; or if the rela-
tion between the swallow and the goat-sucker, founded upon
a comparison of their joint characters as belonging to the
higher group {Aves)^ when compared with the animals com-
posing the other vertebrated orders (the bat for example) be
deemed an affinity; the relation between the bat and the
goat-sucker, as vertebrated animals, when compared with all
invertebrated animals (the dragon-fly for instance) must also
144 ON AFFINITY AND ANALOGY.
be an affinity. In like manner the dragon-fly and the bat,
as animals, must possess a common relation of affinity when
compared with vegetables (the catch-fly plant for instance).
And even between animals and vegetables as compared with
inorganic matter, there must be a relation of affinity founded
upon the circumstance of their organized structure.
To show then the existence of distinct relations of analogy
amongst these six animals of which we have thus traced the
affinities, it will be necessary to reverse the series as well as
the mode of comparison ; for if a relation of affinity of the
first degree be found to exist between the species of a genus
or sub- genus, the first degree of analogy will be found in the
objects most widely apart, that is in those belonging to dif-
ferent sub-kingdoms. Here then we find the bat and the
dragon-fly, belonging to different sub-kingdoms of the animal
kingdom (or next higher group), and we have already seen
that as compared together with reference to the objects of the
other next higher group (that is the vegetable kingdom), an
affinity existed between them ; but if, on the other hand we
regard the relations of the bat with any other animal belong-
ing to the same sub-kingdom as itself ( Vertebrata, the goat-
sucker for instance), we find the relation between the bat and
the dragon-fly to be so comparatively remote, that we term it
a relation of analogy. In like manner, if we compare the
goat-sucker with any other animal belonging to the same ver-
tebrated class as itself (birds, the swallow for instance), we
find the relation between either of these animals and any other
animals belonging to the other divisions {Reptilia, Pisces,
Mammalia, the bat for example) composing the next higher
group ( Vertebrata) to be one of analogy, as indeed Mr. Swain-
son has truly regarded it ; but by pursuing this train of rea-
soning, it will be equally evident that the relation between
the goat-sucker and the swallow, in comparison with that be-
tween the latter and the martin, is merely one of analogy and
not of affinity.
In like manner we say that all the insects belonging to an
order (the Coleoptera for example), are related to each other
by affinity, as compared with the other orders of insects ; but
when we come to analyze the order Coleoptera, we find innu-
merable analogies existing amongst those very insects which
we have just previously admitted to possess a general affinity
with each other.
It has long appeared to me to be most probable, that the
fact of two animals or groups of animals thus exhibiting rela-
tions both of affinity and analogy, was the chief cause which
induced many persons to regard both these relations as of
equivalent value, and as synonymous with resemblances.
REDUCTION OF POSTA(iH. — VOYAGE OF THE BLOSSOM. 145
MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY.
MARCH, 1840.
The penny-postage rate, thanks to Mr. Rowland Hill, has now become
the order of the day. Of its benefits, we can speak feelingly, for the long
array of contributions whose titles grace each volume of this journal,
has involved no insignificant patronage of Her Majesty's establishment
in St. Martin's le Grand. Not that we have been treated otherwise than
most liberally by our correspondents in the matter of postage, for the
cases have been rare indeed that a letter has come to hand unfranked
by the sender. It has been in the outward bound despatches where we
have felt so crippled by the impost. Now if we wish to communicate
with our contributors, in the most distant part of the kingdom, we can
do it as often as we please, without a calculation as to what it may cost
us to attain our object. We have no longer to send our ounce despatches
to some M.P., with a respectful hint that by franking them to their res-
pective destinations, he will be serving, us, and serving science at the
same time. Natural History has indeed received a boon, and we should
be ungrateful, did we not offer some acknowledgment to the talent and
boldness, displayed in the first bringing forward a measure, which the
voice of the country has since so triumphantly carried into efi'ect.
The long looked-for and long despaired-of ' Zoology of Beechey's voy-
age' is at last before us. Its merits as a scientific work will be duly no-
ticed in another place ; on this occasion we shall merely say a word touch-
ing a passage, which greatly helps to fill out the preface. Sir William
Beechey, after doing justice to the labours of several distinguished men
of science, by acknowledging the obligation he is under to them for their
co-operation in getting up the descriptive portion of the volume, thus
proceeds. —
" I wish I could with sincerity have included with the above-mention-
" ed names that of Mr. J. E. Gray, who undertook to describe the shells,
" but the publication has suffered so much by delay in consequence of his
" having been connected with it, that it is a matter of the greatest regret
" to me that I ever acceded to his offer to engage in it. This delay has
" from various causes, been extended over a period of eight years, and I
" cannot with justice or propriety conceal from the government, the col-
*' lectors, and especially from the contributors to the work, whose MSS.
" have been so long printed, that it has been occasioned entirely bv Mr.
Vol. IV.— No. 39. n. s. r
146 ZOOLOGY OF BEECHEY's VOYAGE.
" Gray's failing to furnish his part, in spite of every intercession from my-
" self and others : promising his MS. from time to time, and thereby keep-
" in g the department in his own hands, yet always disappointing the print-
"er, until at length, from other causes, the publisher (Mr. Richter) fell
" into difficulties, and all the plates and letter-press were sold by the as-
" signees, and lost to the government.
" The plates and sheets thus dispersed were however with difficulty and
" at considerable expense brought together, by the spirited conduct of the,
" present publisher, Mr. H. G. Bohn ; who, anxious that the work should
" if possible be completed, again applied to Mr. Gray, but much against
" my wishes. That gentleman however repeated his offer of assistance, but
" as before it served only to delay the work another year. At length Mr,
" G. B. Sowerby was engaged to complete the Conchology, and to revise
" the unprinted portion of Mr. Gray's MSS., and thus after an unpre-
" cedented and vexatious delay, and with a considerable additional ex-
" pense, I am now only able to submit the work to the public."
Now if naturalists, either knowingly or through inadvertence, so place
themselves, as to stand committed, they must not expect to enjoy a mono-
poly of exemption from the natural consequences ; but must take their
chance with the race of ordinary mortals. It is for the interest of sci-
ence, equally with that of society, that misdemeanours should not pass
altogether unregarded, however high may be the names with which they
stand connected. We do not, therefore, impute blame to Sir William
Beechey, on the score of what he has said in assigning a cause for the
long period during which the work has been forthcoming, although
every one must regrel that he should have felt himself under the neces-
sity of passing such severe comments upon one of the officers attached
to the British Museum ; but we have an objection to offer to the shape
in which these strictures are presented to our notice. The statement is
purely an ex parte one, for it comes before us, through a channel which
affords the party criminated no opportunity of reply. Mr. Gray appears
as the avowed author of one portion of the volume, and as such, we con-
ceive that he was, beyond all dispute, entitled to a copy of the indict-
ment prior to its publication, with the liberty of defending himself, if he
thought proper. For aught we know, this step may have been taken, but
we assume that it was not, as no intimation of such course having been
followed, is affixed to the article in question.
On our first and hasty look through the work, to gain a mere insight
into the nature of its contents, our attention was caught by a passage
occurring in Mr Gray's introductory remarks to the Malacological de-
partment, one which still comes out under his responsibility. It was
k
ZOOLOGY OF BEECHEY's VOYAGE. 147
written, we presume, some considerable time since, and is as follows : —
" In the following memoranda I have given such ohservations as I have
" been enabled to make on the animals of the various genera, brought home
" either by Captain Beechey's expedition, or by several other voyagers, as
" Captain Lord Byron, Mr. Fryer, and the Rev. Mr. Hennah, who about
" the same time touched at several parts of the world, which were also vis-
" ited by this expedition. I have been induced to follow this course, rather
" than to give only a description of the new species discovered by the offi-
" cers of the expedition, (as it was my intention to have done when first
" the specimens were put into my hands), because Mr. Sowerby and Mr.
" Broderip, almost immediately on the return of the expedition, described
"many of the new and interesting species discovered during the voyage,
" specimens of most of which were given to the Zoological Society by
"Lieutenant (now Captain) Belcher, one of the officers of Captain
" Beechey's ship. In my MSS. I had given names to most of the species,
" but I have since substituted those used by the above-mentioned gentle-
" men, that science might not be burthenedby the many useless names
" which an opposite course would have produced.
" I have only given a zoological description of the animals ; as accord-
" ing to the rules of the British Museum, we are very properly forbidden
*" to dissect the animals under our charge, which might thereby be render-
" ed useless for subsequent observers."
Any one at all conversant with Zoological etiquette, upon reading the
above extract, will not fail to detect a jlaw on the side of Sir William
Beechey. We can readily understand the annoyance it must have occa-
sioned Mr. Gray, to find himself anticipated in the describing the new
Testacea, brought home in the ' Blossom,' when he had commenced the
drawing up those descriptions himself. It may be. argued that Sir Wil-
liam Beechey could not be answerable for an officer of the ship's com-
pany, giving to the Zoological, or any other Society, specimens which
might be duplicates of those in his [Sir Wm. Beechey's] possession ; but
it should be borne in mind that the expedition was a Government aff'air,
and a sum of money being granted to put the public in possession of
the scientific results of that expedition, and the Malacological portion
of the Natural History department, being consigned to an officer in the
British Museum, an understanding surely ought to have been entered
into, by which the result just mentioned might have been guarded
against. Precisely the same thing might have happened with the novel-
ties in the other branches of Natural History, for there are plenty of
channels open to the speedy publication of the characters and proposed
names of new species ; and the respective authors of each separate sec-
148 SOWERBl's MINERAL CONCHOLOGY.
tion, might thus not only have been anticipated, but the value of the
work itself greatly diminished. We know nothing of the history of this
matter, beyond that which we can gather from the statements now quo-
ted, and the second of these is apparently written w ithout reference to the
first ; the possible relation which the one may bear to the other, being
purely a matter of assumption on our part. We do not notice this
circumstance, for the purpose of showing up the errors of Mr. Gray, or
those of Sir Wm. Beechey, and striking a balance between them, but
because we have seen too much of ex parte statements, and have too
often been subject to them ourselves, not to deal out justice with an even
hand, when the opportunity lies in our power, and a legitimate occasion
comes before us.
We have the satisfaction of stating that the one hundred and sixth
number of the ' Mineral Conchology of Great Britain,' has really made
its appearance, for we have a copy now lying on our table. The author
has therefore redeemed the pledge to that effect, which he put forth a
short time since in the pages of the * Magazine of Natural History.'
The most gratifying circumstance that could possibly have come before
us, in connection with this publication, is that of the Council of the
Geological Society having just awarded to Mr. Sowerby, the proceeds of
the Wollaston Donation Fund, as an aid towards the immediate contin-
uation of a work, which bears so important a relation to our knowledge
of the British fossiliferous deposits. The materials now in hand, for
carrying forward the ' Mineral Conchology' are so extensive, and promise
to accumulate so rapidly, that we trust there will be no impediment in
the way of its regular appearance, but that Mr. Sowerby may receive
from the hands of English naturalists, a share of support which shall
show their due appreciation of the value of his labors ; and that, without
infringing on the boundary of justice towards himself or his family, he
may be enabled to go on, so long as he shall have health and strength
to engage in the undertaking.
It is generally understood that Mr. Children has resigned his post at
the British Museum, and that his valuable library and entomological
collection is shortly to come to the hammer. Whoever may be ap-
pointed to fill the vacancy thus occasioned, will we trust have, like his
predecessor, other attainments to grace the station than only those ari-
sing from a profound acquaintance with zoological science.
HABITS OF THE WATER SHREW. 149
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.
Habits of the Water-Shrew, {Sorex fodiens), as observed
near Ipswich. — Whilst walking by the side of the river Gip-
ping, in May, 1838, between Ipswich and the village of
Sproughton, my attention was arrested by several water-shrews
actively engaged in a dyke that runs parallel to the river. —
These little creatures were in such rapid motion on the water,
that its surface was thrown into a state of quick undulation,
though the dyke was at least four feet wide. At times they
would be upon the surface moving at a rapid rate between
the blades of the aquatic plants, consisting principally of
Sparganium ramosum and simplex, that grew from the bot-
tom,— then they would dive, and for a while remain beneath,
but always on returning to the top, displaying the greatest
rapidity in their movements. Whilst above water they were
constantly repeating their faint, though shrill, tremulous
squeak, which appeared as though expressive of pleasurable
sensations.
On visiting the spot the following evening, and secreting
myself, I had an opportunity of remarking the movements of
these little animals on land.
I found beneath a slightly hanging bank, and close by the
water side, a long gallery, which, though in a great measure
naturally formed, yet much had been done by the shrews to
render it a convenient viaduct between one hunting-place and
another : the grasses and other plants had been removed, as
well as, here and there, small portions of earth, in order to
render this passage, in their movements from end to end, as
commodious as possible. I observed the shrews continually
passing backwards and forwards through this passage, which
enabled them to travel with facility from one part of the ditch
to another, and which was principally a little above the wa-
ter level, but at intervals there were depressions at which the
water passed on to, or over its floor This passage v/as evi-
dently the common property of many shrews, as several were
continually running backwards and forwards, along its whole
extent, and ultimately taking to the water, swimming up or
down the ditch, diving, and performing various evolutions in
search of their insect prey. They swim upon or under the
surface of the water with equal rapidity, and when beneath,
the hair upon their bodies so completely repels the water,
that the air entangled amongst the hair gives to the bodies of
the little animals the brilliancy of silver, as they pursue their
course ; on emerging from the water the coat appears per-
fectly dry, but this is further ensured by the little creature
f
150 CALOSOMA SYCOPHANT A.
giving itself a sudden shake on arriving at its landing place.
I remarked that in travelling along the above-mentioned gal-
lery, the tremulous shriek is always heard when two shrews
happen to pass each other ; and the same thing occurs, al-
though not so invariably, in their movements in the water. —
When a shrew secured an insect it quitted the water, and as-
cended a convenient stone, or projecting root of a tree, clod
of earth, or some other similar body, where at its leisure it
devoured its prize, steadying the insect with its fore paws,
whilst it nibbled, apparently with the greatest enjoyment, one
or other of its extremities.
These animals are generally infested with an immense num-
ber of Acari, which, after the death of the shrew, leave the
surface of the skin and come to the extremity of the hairs,
where to the naked eye they appear like white dust. I once
traced a pair of shrews into a small hole in a bank by tke
side of the ditch where I had been in the habit of observing
them ; and in order to try and secure them I carefully remov-
ed the earth, when I found that although the entrance was
scarcely larger than just to allow of two shrews passing toge-
ther, yet it led into a very capacious vestibule, with galleries
leading one into another, and so extensive that there was no
possibility of ascertaining their full extent without removing
the greater portion of the bank. — JV. Barnard Clarke, M.D.
—Edinburgh, Jan. 20, 1840.
Calosoma sycophanta. — At the meeting of the Entomolo-
gical Club on Thursday the 20th February, Mr. J. F. Christy
exhibited and presented a fine specimen of this beautiful in-
sect. It was found by Mr. Rutter, on the grass-plot opposite
Arundel Terrace, Kemp Town, Brighton : when taken it was
not only alive, but very active. Two other specimens were
taken by a little girl at Brighton during the summer of 1838,
and were purchased by Mr. Hoyer. A single individual was
found by Mr. Bennett on the 20th of June 1839, at Ramsgate,
on the chalk cliff; it was kept alive more than a month, and ate
caterpillars greedily. Three specimens were found during the
past summer at Hastings, by Mr. Hanson or some of his fa-
mily : one was living and active, the others dead, and lying
on the sea-vshore. We have thus abundant evidence that this
fine insect is really British, and, as far as my observations
have extended, it appears to be confined to the south-eastern
and southern shores of England ; its range extending along
the coast from Norfolk to Cornwall. 1 think it right to add
that numerous French and German specimens are being hawk-
ed about by dealers at a very low price, and are warranted
genuine Britons, and taken near Noi'ivich. — Edwd. Neivman.
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 151
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.
THE Microscopical Society of London held their first meeting on
Wednesday, January 29th, at the Horticultural Society's Rooms, No.
21, Regent St. The meeting was attended by upwards of a hundred
members and visitors.
The President, Prof. Owen, announced that since the provisional
meeting on the 20th of December, for the purpose of forming the So-
ciety, the number of members had encreased to one hundred and ten ;
and a further addition of twenty-nine names was announced in the
course of the evening, making a total of one hundred and thirty -nine
original members of the Society. (It having been determined that
those who joined the Society on or before the first night of meeting,
should be considered original members).
Mr. Owen communicated a paper *0n the application of microscopic
examinations of the structure of teeth to the determination of fossil
remains.' After alluding to the essential service rendered by the mi-
croscope to the chemist, mineralogist, and vegetable physiologist, he
proceeded to offer a few examples of the utility of the microscope to
the geologist, when applied to the investigation of the structure of fos-
silized teeth.
The first example adduced was that of the Saurocephalus, an ex-
tinct fossil animal which had been referred to the class of Reptiles. —
After pointing out the distinctive characters of the microscopic texture
of the teeth in reptiles and fishes, it was shown that the Saurocephalus,
according to this test, unquestionably belonged to the latter class, and
that it most closely resembled the Sphyrcena, among recent fishes, in
its dental structure.
The second instance was the Basilosaunis of Dr. Harlan, which had
been referred to the class Reptilia, and the double-fanged structure of
its teeth had, on the strength of its supposed saurian affinities, been
adduced to weaken the arguments in favour of the mammiferous nature
of certain fossils from the Stonesfield oolite. Mr. Owen, after describ-
ing the microscopic characters of the teeth of the Basilosaunis, showed
that it deviated from the saurian structure in this respect, as widely as
the Saurocephalus, but that the modification of its dental structure
resembled most closely that of the cachalot and herbivorous Cetacea.
Lastly, Mr. Owen alluded to the difference in the views entertained
by Cuvier and M. de Blainville as to the affinities of the Megatherium,
which was referred by the one to the family of the sloths, and by the
other to that of the armadilloes : after explaining the well-marked dif-
ferences in the microscopic characters of the dental structure in these
two families of the so-called Edentata, Mr. Owen proceeded to describe
the structure of the teeth of the Megatherium^ and to show that in its
close resemblance to the dental structure of the sloths, it confirmed the
views of the great founder of the science of fossil remains.
Mr. Jackson then read a short paper, drawing the attention of the
Society to a mode of mounting the compound microscope, which dif-
fers in some particulars from the methods generally adopted. The
principal object to be kept in view in the construction of this instrument
152 SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.
is tlie prevention of those accidental vibrations which so much interfere
with microscopical examinations, especially in the neighbourhood of
crowded thoroughfares. This object is effected by connecting together
the body and stage of the instrument, in such a manner that whatever
vibrations are communicated to the one shall be equally communicated
to the other. In Mr. Jackson's instrument this principle has been car-
ried farther than had hitherto been effected; and it also affords improved
facilities for minute adjustment, and the accurate admeasurement of
microscopic objects.
The second meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday, the
19th of February; R. H. Solly, Esq., in the chair.
A paper was read by Mr. Quekett, * On the development of the vas-
cular tissue of plants ; ' in which it was shown that the membranous
tube of vessels originated from a cytoblast, in a manner similar to that
described by Schleiden in the formation of cells. Before the fibre is
deposited, the contents, which are gelatinous, are crowded with numer-
ous most minute granules, which possess the motion known in " active
molecules: " and after a short time, when they have become a little en-
larged, they adhere to the inner surface of the tube containing them, in
a different manner for each vessel ; so that the several varieties of vas-
cular tissue are not degeneiations of any other kind, but are each con-
structed originally on the plan they are always observed to present to
the eyei.
It had been conjectured by Schleiden that a current existed between
the gelatinous contents of the cell and its walls, which current preceded
the formation of a fibre, and gave the direction it afterwards took ; this
was refuted by showing that the granules become separately attached
to the inside of the vessel, a short distance from each other, beginning
first at one end and proceeding to the opposite one ; the fibre elongat-
ing like a root by the materials of growth being always added to the
point. The granules so attached become nourished by the contents of
the vessel, and the spaces between them are in a short time obliterated
by the fibre acquiring a defined border, which completes its development.
This act is the one observed in the formation of all vessels ; but the
arrangement of the granules differs, so as to constitute the several va-
rieties. In the annular vessel the granules attach themselves horizon-
tally, forming rings ; — in the spiral they become inclined, and by
continuing this direction around the interior of the membranous tube
the peculiar character of this vessel is obtained : — in the reticulated^
for each division or branch of the fibre, a gi'anule becomes enlarged in
the line, and fonns the starting-place for the fresh direction of the fibre.
In the dotted and scalariform vessels, the fibres become so reticulated
as to leave portions of the outer membrane of the vessel without any
deposit within; and this spot so left constitutes the dot or linear
marking seen on these vessels.
This dot is plain in all such kinds of vessels, excepting those found
in woody exogens, where it possesses (from a slight difference of struc-
ture), a central mark analogous to that on the woody tissue of coni-
ferous plants, with which Mr. Quekett considered it identical, only of
a smaller size.
THE MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
APRIL, 1840.
Art. f. — View ofthz Fauna of Brazil, anterior to the last Geologi-
cat Revolution. By Dr. Lund.
( Continued from page 112.^
1 NOW pass on to the most abundant of the extinct genera of
the Armadillo tribe, whose numerous remains, in several
cases, have enabled me to determine with accuracy its place
in the family, as well as its relations to existing species.
This animal constitutes, in many points, a perfectly connect-
ing link between the genera Dasypus and Euphractus ; but in
other points it differs from all living genera of this family.
Like Dasypus, it has only four toes on the fore-foot ; and
the construction of its fore and hind feet is very much the
same in all the principal characters : except that the bones
are much shorter, and the claws broader. On the other hand,
the remaining bones of its extremities, as also those of its
body, correspond in the most striking manner with those of
Euphractus ; which it moreover resembles in the structure
of its corslet.
In connection with these remarkable correspondences to
existing genera, one cannot help being greatly astonished at
the entirely dissimilar structure of the dental system, pre-
sented by the fossil species, and which compels us to ascribe
to this animal totally different habits and food, from those
which we know to belong to the living species. With re-
spect to the habits of these latter great contradictions occur,
not only in the works on natural history, but even in the
accounts I have collected from the natives. The country-
VoL. IV.— No. 40. N. s. sj
154 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
men destroy them as being injurious to their maize, gourds,
&c., while those which I kept in my house ^ invariably
showed an aversion to all such vegetable productions ; but
on the other hand, exhibited an extraordinary predilection for
putrid flesh, as well as a remarkable skill in managing it.
When the morsel is too large to be swallowed whole, they
take it between the front teeth, and then work it with the
claws of the fore-feet with such incredible rapidity, that in a
moment it is riven asunder, and thus swallowed piecemeal.
I have always found in the stomachs of those that 1 have
examined, numerous remains of insects, particularly beetles
and Scolopendras ; together with a fine pulp, the nature of
which I have not been able to determine. Hence we see
that the modern armadillos are insectivorous and carnivorous :
and in truth, the masticating surface of their teeth seems
much better adapted to cut their food than to grind it. In the
fossil species the upper jaw has eight teeth on each side,
and the lower nine ; of these, the two front in the upper jaw,
and the three front in the lower, are incisors. The latter
are shaped like small cylinders of a more or less reniform
section ; while the molars are very large, and compressed
longitudinally, so that their section resembles an elonga-
ted kidney. Their lateral surface is marked with several
canaliculated impressions, and their grinding surface pre-
sents two projections, the effect of the indentation of the
teeth of the opposed jaw. In other respects it is flat, or even
a little hollowed in the middle, as in the sloths ; so that in
all the principal points, these teeth are constructed on the
same plan as those of a Megalonyx, and are evidently suited
to grind, and not to cut: hence we may conclude, with a
high degree of probability, that vegetable substances were
their appointed food. I propose the name of Chlamydothe-
Hum for this extinct genus ; and to the species which is as
yet the best known, I would venture to add the name of the
first modern naturalist, by calling it Chlam. Humholdtii. Its
length, from the point of the snout to the root of the tail, is
six feet; its size, therefore, is double that of the largest
existing armadillo, or about equal to that of the tapir.
I have found, also, the remains of another species, though
much less fi-equently than the above, which I have named
Chlam. giganteum, on account of its vast size, in which it
was certainly not inferior to the Rhinoceros ; and it surpasses
all I have yet discovered of the entire order Bruta.
» This was the case even with the a:enus Dasypus^ Wagl., to which the
opposite of such habits is usually attributed.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 155
The next genus, with only one species of which I am ac-
quainted, carries us still farther towards the confines of the
armadillo family ; and surprises us with characters hitherto
considered peculiar to the sloths. This astonishing monster
combines, with the size of an ox, a coat of mail, most like
that of Tolypeutes, but of astounding thickness, and extre-
mities fashioned nearly after the form of the armadillo, with
short thick feet, and with immensely broad and short claws,
which must have given its foot almost the appearance of that
of an elephant or hippopotamus. It has the sloth's head, with
the same characteristic structure of the zygoma. Its teeth
are shaped like the molars of the Capivar, but have a dif-
ferent structure, inasmuch as they are simple, and not com-
posed of lamince. In the details of its internal structure, it
presents, besides, several peculiarities not observed in any
other animal. I call this remarkable animal ^ Hoplophorus
Euphractus.
Finally, I conclude my list of this family with a genus,
which, from the little I yet know of it, seems to offer so com-
plete a passage into the next family, that it will require more
perfect specimens to decide to which of them it belongs.
The general characters of its feet are those of the armadillo ;
but so shortened and thickened, and with such massive
proportions, that I cannot resist indicating this genus, for the
present, by the name of Pachy titer ium. It seems to have
been of the same size as the preceding, or rather larger ; but
I have not hitherto found any trace of its having had a coat
of armour.
A.rmadilloes are now confined to this portion of the globe ;
and we see from the above short sketch, that they also inha-
bited this district in the previous geological period. No trace
of these animals in the fossil state having hitherto been dis-
covered in the old world, we may conclude with certainty,
that the geographical distribution of this genus was the same
then as now. We shall have further opportunities of esta-
blishing this fact in the course of our enquiries. But not
only did this group of animals exist here in former times; it was
also richer in subordinate forms and species than it now is.
If we examine more closely the generic forms that formerly
composed this family, we find that one of them {Dasypus,
Wagl.), still exists, but that the remaining five are extinct.
And although there are good grounds for suspecting that a
more accurate acquaintance with the fossils of this district
will bring to light more existing generic forms of this family,
• Named l)y Professor Owen, Gli/jHodon.
156 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
still we may assert generally, that notwithstanding the con-
tinuance of this group of mammals in this region from that
ancient period, betokens a similarity with the existing fauna,
as far as regards fundamental types, still there is a visible dif-
ference in the details of its composition, and in its subordi-
nate generic forms. With regard to the species of this
family, the greater number of them in those former ages
exhibited gigantic forms ; while those now existing are all
small animals, scarcely one reaching the middle size. We
may therefore conclude that this family, as now existing,
when compared with what it formerly was, is developed on
a reduced scale, as well with reference to the number of
genera and species, as to the size of individuals.
Third Family, Tardigrades, Sloths.
Two genera of this family, both now extinct, formerly in-
habited this district. The first of these I have spoken of in
my account of the Cave of Maquine, under the name of
Megatherium ; but subsequent investigations have satisfied
me that it should be separated from that genus. It has four
molars in the upper, and three in the lower jaw. The teeth
are somewhat compressed cylinders, with an even grinding
surface ; which, however, by trituration becomes hollowed in
the middle, so as to be surrounded by a continually increasing
margin, which, by the action of the teeth of the opposed
jaw, usually has some irregular indentations. These teeth
consist of an outer crust, composed of osseous lamin<B, partly
superimposed obhquely, and disposed one over the other,
without any immediate contact, like the plates in a Voltaic
pile. The teeth are fixed obliquely in the jaw ; and the last
molar of the upper jaw is distinguished from the rest by
being much smaller, and of a different shape. For this ani-
mal, which, in the structure of its teeth, approaches nearer
to the three-toed sloth than to the Megatherium^ I propose,
for the present, the generic name Ccelodon. I only know one
species, about the size of the tapir; and which, from the
spot where it was found, I call Ceel. Maquinense.
The second genus of this family, which I now proceed to
describe, has been much longer known. It was discovered
and first described by President Jefferson, who took it for a
predatory animal ; but Cuvier was the first to determine its
proper place among the sloths, under the name of Megalonyx.
But its connection with the other animals of that order was so
obscure, from the imperfect state of the fragments, that Pan-
der and Dalton, who have described and figured the skeleton
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 157
of the great Megatherium on the spot, considered the animal
described by Jefferson as specifically identical.
The numerous remains which several species of this genus
have left in the caves of Brazil, enable me not only to eluci-
date this point in science, but also to throw some light on the
habits of this very remarkable animal, so different from any
now living.
The Megalonyx forms a genus perfectly distinct from the
Megatherium. It resembles, nay exceeds, the latter, in the
thick clumsy shape of its body. The construction of the
fore and hind feet is the same ; but in the formation of its
head, and particularly in the number, shape, and position of
its teeth, it differs greatly. The Megalonyx has five molars
in the upper, and four in the lower jaw. The teeth are flat-
tened cylinders, somewhat curved, both in a longitudinal
and transverse direction, and inserted obliquely in the jaws :
they present a rather excavated grinding surface, the margin
of which is notched at one end. The posterior molar of the
under jaw has a somewhat consolidated aspect, as if it were
formed by the union of two. Like the Megatherium, it had
a long and strong tail, composed of many vertebrae, and ex-
traordinarily powerful, especially at its root. Its ribs are
grooved longitudinally along its external surface ; a character
only observed in some species of Dasypus. However, as it
is not my object to give here a detailed description of this
animal, I will confine myself to the general observation, that
most of the points in which Megalonyx differs from Mega-
therium, present so many approximations to the modern
sloth ; one of which is of too great importance to be passed
over without examination. It is well known that in the three-
toed sloth, the foot articulates with the tibia, not, as in all
other Mammalia, in a plane at right angles to the leg, but on
a plane continuous with it ; so that if this creature wished to
stand upright upon its four legs, it would have to rest upon the
outer edge of the soles of its feet; while, in order to rest
upon the flat of the sole, it must lie on its belly, with its feet
stretched out straight from its body. This peculiarity, of
which we are as yet acquainted with only this one living ex-
ample, is repeated in the Megalonyx, although the mechanism
whereby this distortion, if we may so call it, is effected, dif-
fers much in the two animals. In the sloth it is produced
by the singular mode in which the tibia andjibula articulate
with the astralagus ; while in the Megalonyx this joint occurs
in the manner usual among Mammalia ; and the irregularity
of the plane of the foot depends on the articulation of the first
row of the metatarsal bones with the astralagus and calca-
158 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
ileum ; which last, therefore, entirely differ from those of all
other mammals, in the form and position of their anterior
articular surfaces.
Inasmuch as the mechanism of the sloth's movements, so
far as I am aware, is not very well known, I may take the
liberty of recording the observations I made on the three-
toed sloth, Bradypus torquatus, which I kept in my house
for a considerable time. This animal climbs with remark-
able sureness and aptitude, although, as is well known, with
a degree of slowness which, however, may be called rapidity
in comparison with its terrestrial movements. The manner in
which it moves is this : — Lying on its belly, with all its four
extremities stretched out from the body ; it first presses one
of its hind feet with all its might against the ground, whereby
the corresponding side of the body is a little raised. The
fore-leg on the same side thus becomes sufficiently free for
the animal to advance it a trifle forward. It then hooks its
powerful claws fast in the earth, and so drags its body a little
onwards. The same manoeuvre is next repeated on the op-
posite side ; and thus the poor creature progresses in the
slowest and most laborious manner possible. But this mode
of progression requires certain conditions of the surface ; for
if it is not soft enough to admit the insertion of the claws,
or if there are no inequalities for them to hold by, the sloth
is completely deprived of the power of changing its position.
For instance, when I laid it on a table of polished mahogany,
it could not advance the least, notwithstanding all its exer-
tions. But in proportion as the sloth's organization unfits it
for terrestrial progression, is it wonderfully adapted to climb-
ing trees. With its long arms it reaches high up, and clings
fast to the branches with its strong crooked claws. The m-
verted position of the soles of its hind feet gives it a power
of grasping the trunk of the tree, which no other mammal
possesses. So that truly, when we see it climbing a tree,
we can scarcely believe it to be the same animal that lies so
helpless on the ground. Hence we see, that the sloth's organ-
ization is entirely adapted for living in trees. Compared
with the slowness of its motions, it is the best climber among
mammals, while it is the worst walker ; or rather, it is the
only mammal that can neither walk nor stand. These pecu-
liarities depend on three principal points in its organiza-
tion : — 1st, the great length of its anterior extremities, in
comparison with the posterior ; 2dly, its powerful, crooked
claws ; and 3dly, the irregular podtion of its hind feet.
Let us now see how far the results to which we have been led
by the consideration of the living sloth's structure and habits
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 159
may serve to elucidate the habits of that extraordinary tenant
of a foraier world, now under our consideration. Now, the
Megalonyx, like the sloth, is provided with powerful clavicles ;
like it also, its anterior extremities are longer than the hind;
its toes are armed with immense claws ; and lastly, the sole
of its hind foot is turned inwards instead of downwards.
The first of these characters, or the existence of perfect
clavicles, proves that this animal used its fore- extremities
for more purposes than for walking ; which position I take
to be incontrovertible, as it is founded on a rule that has
no exception among mammals. The purposes for which
mammals, provided with clavicles, employ their anterior
extremities, are the following : — 1st, for flying, as in the
bats, with which we have nothing here to do ; 2dly, for the
apprehension of food, and the bringing it to the mouth, either
with one hand, as in the apes, or with two, like most rodents,
some marsupials, &c. Now, the first of these purposes re-
quires a peculiar disposition of the fingers, and a certain
freedom of motion in them ; which conditions are both
wanting in the Megalonyx, notwithstanding this animal, as
well as the Megatherium, has in reality been classed by
Wagler among apes. The second purpose is confined to ani-
mals that have short fore-limbs, and whose dental system is
adapted to gnaw substances which they hold in their paws ;
which conditions being also inapplicable to the Megalonyx,
there can be no occasion to dwell longer on them ; 3dly, for
tearing asunder their prey, as in the feline tribes. This pur-
pose requires only an imperfect development of the clavicles,
but at the same time, a peculiar arrangement in the shape and
attachment of the claws ; which, again, is not the case in the
Megalonyx. Besides, the dental system proves it to have
been graminivorous ; although authors have not been wanting
( as Jefferson and Faujas) who have placed it among the
Carnivora.
There remain, therefore, only two functions that are exer-
cised by the animals provided with bones for the attachment
of claws ; viz. digging and climbing. And it is the more
necessary to confine our attention to these two points, inas-
much as we see that all animals belonging to the same order
as Megalonyx, exercise one or the other of these functions.
Their immediate instruments for these purposes are claws,
which consequently are powerfully developed in all ; but in
none in so high degree as in the extinct genera Megalonyx
and Megatheriu7n : in these they have reached the highest
degree of development we yet know in the animal kingdom.
It would be contrary to all experience in natural history, to
160 VIEW OF THE EXTINCT FAUNA OF BRAZIL.
suppose that an organ should lose its function and significance
precisely at the point where it is mostperfectly developed. We
cannot doubt, therefore, thatthepowerful claws with which we
find Megalonyx and Megatheriam armed, have had their use.
We may even conclude with certainty, that the habits of
the animals were closely connected with these organs, and
that their very existence depended on them. Now, as we
only know of two uses for strong claws in Mammalia, dig-
ging and climbing ; and as these two purposes require dif-
ferent anatomical arrangements ; it will not be very difficult
to decide for which of them the powerful organs in the ex-
traordinary creatures we are considering were intended. We
find among the animals the most perfectly organized with
respect to burrowing, such as Talpa, Spalax, Condylurus,
&c., that the claws are strong, long, broad, and nearly of
equal size, that all the digits are provided with similar claws,
and are extended in almost the same plane as the hand,
which is of considerable breadth. Next to moles, the best
diggers or burro wers are found in the order to which Mega-
lonyx belongs, especially in the family Dasypiis\ but the
different species of that genus are not all equally well pro-
vided in this respect. The best diggers are the Cahassous
(Xe?iurus, Priodon), among which we again recognize the
same characters as in the moles ; a broad hand, all the digits
provided with claws, very broad, and nearly equal. In the
Euphractus the hand is somewhat smaller, as are also the
claws, although their number remains undiminished ; conse-
quently, the species of this family cannot compete with the
former as burrowers- In the proper Dasypus, the number of
digits provided with claws is reduced to four ; and they are
so inferior to the first described, in the faculty of digging,
as to avail themselves, for the most part, of the burrows the
others have excavated.
Let us next examine the plan of construction of the hand
in those animals that use their claws as hooks to climb with.
We find the most perfect form of this kind in the sloth. Its
claws are extraordinarily long, curved and compressed : they
are so articulated as to be incapable of extension, whence,
during the animal's repose, they are bent under the fore
foot ; and at the utmost, can only be extended so as to form
a right angle with it. Again, not more than three digits in
some, and two in others, are furnished with equal claws ; and
the hand is small. We thus see, that hands adapted for
climbing and burrowing, are constructed on two almost op-
posite plans ; let us then examine to which of them the Me-
galonyx bears the most resemblance.
ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON. 161
The claws in the Megalonyx (and still more in the Mega-
therium), were extraordinarily long; according to all ap-
pearance, longer even than in the sloth, which has the longest
of all existing mammals. They are neither flat-shaped, as
in the burrowers, nor are they compressed, as in the sloth ;
on the contrary, their dimensions as to height and breadth
are nearly equal. They are curved longitudinally, as in the
sloth ; and have the same peculiarity in their articular sur-
faces, that they cannot be extended in the same plane as the
hand. Their number, also, as in the sloth, is reduced to
three ; a reduction we do not else find in any burrower. It
is therefore evident, from this comparison, that the hand of
Megalonyx was constructed rather on the plan of the sloth
than of the burrowers ; and that all its provisions were ill
adapted for digging.
(To he continued.)
Art. it. — Observations on the Young of the Salmon, more par-
ticularly on the Samlet, or small Fish found in the Wye and other
Rivers, in the autumn months, called, in Herefordshire, " Las-
prinys, or Gravel-Lasprinys." By Thomas Jenkins, Esq.^
Various opinions are entertained respecting the above-named
fish, but up to the present time, as far as I am aware, their
specific identity has not been clearly ascertained. I here
particularly allude to those seen in the autmnn ; all observ-
ers agreeing that those of the spring, also called 'lasprings*
in this locality, are the produce of the salmon. An opinion
prevails in this neighbourhood that the samlets are peculiar
to the Wye, and one or two other rivers ; so far from this
being the case, 1 have myself taken them in nearly thirty
different rivers in England and Wales, w^here they are known
under the several local names of lasprings, gravel-lasprings,
salmon-pink, salmon-smelts, samlets, par, scarlings, seals,
smoults, gravelings, fingerlings, and small trout.
The samlets are generally thought to constitute a species
of themselves, not growing larger than we see them here,
where they attain the average length of four inches ; some,
however, entertain the opinion that they are hybrids, the pro-
duce of the salmon wdth the sea-trout, or with the common
trout ; of w^hich latter opinion was the late Sir Humphrey
' Read at the Soiree of the Herefordshire Natural History Society,
1 9th February, 1840. Communicated by the author to the Mag. Nat. Hist.
Vol. TV. — No. 40. n. s. t
162 ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON.
Davy : few believe them to be of the same species as their
namesakes of the spring, that is, the salmon-fiy ; but with these
latter, however, I think I shall be able to identify them.
I have taken samlets at the foot of several considerable
waterfalls in Wales, whereas above those places, being be-
yond the ascending power of the salmon, great as it is known
to be, small trout of the same size may be taken, but not one
samlet : were the former a distinct species, inhabiting those
rivers the whole year, I presume they would, like the trout,
be found above as well as below the falls ; and I will venture
to assert, from my experience, that the autumn samlet, called
by whatever name it may, will be met with in all rivers fre-
quented by salmon, and in no others ; that they will be found
as far up those rivers as the salmon go, and no farther, which
is strong presumptive evidence of the one being the produce
of the other.
With regard to the milt, or soft roe, contained in samlets
in the autumn months, this appears to be the mere germs of
spawn not come to maturity ; and the same appearance is to
be seen in small salmon of half-a-pound and upwards, at that
season of the year. Indeed, the absence of the ova, or per-
fected spawn, at any time of the year (and I have examined
samlets in almost every month), clearly shows that they are
not come to their full growth. But what I rely upon more
than anything else, is, that the anatomical structure will be
found to correspond exactly w^ith the salmon, and the salmon-
fry. In addition to this, the bones of the samlets are soft and
tender, unlike those of a fish come to maturity, as may be
seen on examining the bones of any small fish of full growth,
a minnow, for instance. It is true, that salmon generally
spawn at one particular time of the year, namely, December
and January ; and it does, at first, seem rather strange, why
the produce should appear at difierent times of the year ; —
but the trout furnishes us with a similar instance ; this fish
is known to spawn about the same time as the salmon, yet
very small trout will be met with at all times of the year,
without surprise to the angler : I have myself seen them less
than minnow^s, in September, and also the same size in April,
though it is clear that the young trout of September, and
those of April, could not have been spawned at the same
time, and I call attention to this, in reference to the spring
and autumn samlet. Another circumstance w^hich I will
here mention, is, that so late as December I have taken with
a fly, small salmon of half-a-pound each (and I trust I am
sufficiently acquainted with these fish, to say that they be-
longed to no other species), which, according to the rate they
ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON. 163
are known to increase in size, must have been samlets in the
previous month, and about June must have been spawned ;
thus accounting for the samlet, or salmon-fry, so late as No-
vember. Indeed, I can say, that T have taken them in almost
every month of the year; they are by far in the greatest
abundance in April and May, no doubt the produce of the
general spawning time of December and January.
I come now to the opinion, sanctioned as it is by a great
chemist and philosopher, though, I believe, no naturalist, the
late Sir Humphrey Davy, that the samlets are a breed between
a salmon and sea-trout, or the common trout. With due
deference to so high an authority, 1 must beg leave to say,
that such an opinion is quite untenable ; for it is to be
observed that both the sea-trout and salmon-trout are rare-
ly to be met with in any of the rivers of North Wales, whereas
in most of the salmon rivers in that part of the principality,
I can state from experience, that the autumn-samlet will
be found in abundance. Then, as to the common trout, in
many of the Welsh salmon-rivers, it is rare to meet with one
so large as two pounds in weight; the samlet is, therefore,
not likely to be the offspring of two fish so different in size
as the salmon and trout ; and T may add, that these little fish
have not even the analogy of bearing that proportion in size
to the originals, which such deviations from nature in the
animal creation are invariably known to possess.
Since committing the above observations to paper, 1 have
seen Mr. Yarrell's work on British Fishes, wherein an opinion
is expressed by the author, that the samlet, or par, as it is
there called, is a distinct species, and in this opinion he is
joined by Sir William Jardine and Dr. Hey sham, of Carlisle :
the last-named gentleman also stating that the samlets spawn
in December and January, going down to the sea in the
spring, and returning in the autumn ; but how he comes to
this conclusion does not appear. Before these fish are ex-
posed to indiscriminate destruction, on the above authority,
and not preserved as the young of the salmon ought to be,
I must be allowed, on behalf of the salmon species in general,
though not a specially retained advocate, to make a few further
observations in their behalf: and, differing so widely as I do
from three such distinguished and experienced naturalists, it
will be necessary for me to go into more minute details in
support of my own conclusions, and to which I will beg to
claim further attention.
I have first to remark, that in an examination of nearly
IGi ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON.
400 individuals, made at different times, by Dr. Heysbam,
tbat gentleman does not say tbat tbe ova were perfectly
formed in any one out of that number; that he was able to
distinguish the male from the female spawn may be possible.
There are, however, two, mentioned by Mr. Yarrell as having
contained ova, but these, it is to be remarked, in March, at a
time the salmon-fry are known to be in the rivers ; so that al-
though they are set down as spawning in December and Janu-
ary, yet the only two ever said to contain full-sized roe, were ta-
ken nearly three months afterwards, and had not then spawned.
The size of these fish, I observe, is not stated, but mention
is made of one seven inches in length, with the roe said to
be in a forward state. Now this is nearly double the usual
size of the samlet, and although I have taken this fish in
twenty-eight different rivers, I have never met with one of
that size which had not been to the salt water, and shown
itself as a complete young salmon ; and of that size they
will only be found in or near the estuaries. The question
therefore arises, what fish these were ? I would ask, were the
number of vertebrae examined ? Might they not possibly
have been young trout, to which the samlet bears an external
resemblance ? I am not aware at how small a size a salmon
might contain mature ova, but I will just observe, that I have
seen a trout of not more than three ounces, containing full-
sized spawn, although that fish is known to attain a size oc-
casionally of fifteen or twenty pounds. It is admitted that
samlets have never been seen spawning in the rivulets and
shallow streams, like trout, and I can confidently say, there
is no evidence of their spawning at all, whilst their dimen-
sions are such as are given to this assumed species. I have
myself examined some hundreds of samlets, at various times
of the year, and particularly about the end of September, at
which time I have generally found the greatest accumulation
of roe, or rather milt, for it has that appearance, and it ap-
peared to me, that if they spawned at all, they spawned
about that time, but I have never been able to discover
any appearance of ova ; and in October and November, so
near the period at which they are said to spawn, when
a more forward appearance would be expected, I have
especially remarked that they have not been so full. As
the samlets are said to spawn in December and January,
this is a time of year unfavourable to angling, and few ex-
aminations can then be made, either to prove or disprove
the fact. I have, however, taken two on the 12th of Januar}^,
and if the samlet contained spawn at that time, the proba-
bility is, that one of these, at least, would have been a
ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON. 165
spawner, but that was not the case ; they both contained the
soft roe, which, on their being handled, came from them of
a thick cream-like appearance. These two fish, which ought
then to have attained their full growth, they had been distinct
species, were under the usual size. It becomes a question,
whether or not this accumulation does not disappear sponta-
neously, as just mentioned, at that season of the year, and
that the same accumulation may take place at the usual sea-
son in the following year, and become perfected spawn when
the fish attains a size adapted for maturing it. Whether this
be the case or not, it must be admitted that such an accumu-
lation of milt as is to be seen in these fish in the autumn, is
extraordinary, and is the only circumstance, as far as it goes,
that has come under my observation, in favour of the opinion
that the samlet is a distinct species.
That these fish go down to the sea, I have no doubt ; it is
the natural instinct of the young of the salmon to do so ; but
that they return again the same size as they go down (as is
asserted by Dr. Hey sham), I must utterly deny to be practi-
cable in the situations where I have found them, and which I
think will appear from what I shall have to say on this point.
They are to be taken as far. up the river Wye as Llangerig,
eight miles above Rhayader; and, independently of the dis-
tance being nearly 200 miles by water, they would have a
cataract to surmount, above the bridge at Rhayader, of about
three feet, with numerous other falls and rapids ; I believe I
may assert, that there is no instance in the history of fishes
of so small a size, taking yearly, such a voyage in the fresh
water, to say nothing of its impracticability.
Near the celebrated pass of Pont Aberglaslyn, in Carnar-
vonshire, the river becomes a roaring cataract during the
course of half a mile, falling over ledges of rock, varying
from one to four feet ; and at the mill at Beddgelert, a mile
higher up the same river, is a weir of two to three feet, where
I have witnessed a fish, nearly a pound weight, fail in its
attempt to ascend. The ascent, therefore, is not likely to be
accomplished by a fish weighing scarcely two ounces, inde-
pendently of the cataracts mentioned below; yet, I have
taken samlets in the river, above the weir, in the lake of
Llyn-y-Dinas ; and in the same river, as far up the vale of
Gwynant as the foot of Snowdon. They are also to be taken
in the Ogwen, in the vale of Nant-Frangon, as far up that
river as Mr. Pennant's slate quarries, which is as high as
the salmon go, and no further, being there stopped by a fall
of about sixteen feet ; to go thus far, they have to ascend
innumerable rocks and falls, such as could only be surmounted
166 ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON.
by the salmon, or other large fish. Near Bangor Iscoed, on
the Dee, is a weir of such a height as to prevent all salmon
under three or four pounds from ascending ; at Llangollen,
below the bridge, is a weir of about six feet, and two miles
above, is another weir, of about three feet, with several natu-
ral falls and rapids on the same river : yet I have taken sam-
lets in September, some miles above the highest of these
weirs, and also in the Alwen, a tributary of the Dee, near
Corwen. That these little fish can surmount the difficulties
here enumerated, must be considered impossible, and their
existence can only be accounted for in those situations, by
admitting them to be the young of the salmon.
It is acknowledged that the fish in dispute are peculiar
to our salmon-rivers, as I have before remarked, and not one
single river in theUnited Kingdom is pointed out as containing
the one, that does not also contain the other. It is, however,
said, that samlets are to be found in some streams in the
Western Isles, in which salmon are not. The Western Isles,
I must say, are rather remote from observation, and that mis-
takes may occur in assertions of this kind, fiom our not being
sufficiently informed, the following circumstance will show.
Being fishing in the month of September, in the Ceiriog,
four miles south of Llangollen, amongst the few trout I had
taken, was a fish which I immediately recognized as the
autumn- samlet, and which I considered as a proof that this
river was frequented by salmon ; although I had previously
been informed such was not the case, the salmon being
stopped by a weir somewhere about Chirk ; however, on
fishing a few days later, lower down the same river, I learnt
that a salmon had been taken there the day before, although
it was acknowledged to be a rare circumstance. Now, a
person relying on the first information, might have set down
that river as not containing salmon. I have taken the au-
tumn-samlet in twenty-eight different rivers, and have never
met with one salmon-river without them ; nor have I ever
found them in any river unfrequented by salmon ; and if the
branches of any considerable river be examined, there will
be found many small rivers adapted to fishes of this small
size, yet only in those branches containing salmon, will these
fish be found. I must observe, on the assertion that samlets,
having been spawned in the winter (as is said by Dr. Hey-
sham), do not come to their full growth till late in the au-
tumn, thus taking nine months to attain a size of barely two
ounces ; I believe there is no instance of fishes of so small
a size taking so long a time in coming to maturity, and such
a circumstance is contrary to the order of nature ; for the
ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON. 167
salmon, as is well known, will attain a size of five or six
pounds, in the same time.
One principal reason why naturalists are indisposed to
consider the samlets as the young of the salmon, is, that the
latter are supposed to spawn during the winter inonihs only,
and I observe considerable reliance is placed on this circum-
stance (erroneous though it be), in classing these fish as a
distinct species. That salmon spawn at other times of the
year, further and more accurate observations will prove, and
to them I have already alluded in the present communication.
In addition to what I have here brought forward, it is satis-
factory to me to have had my views confirmed in this respect,
having, since the first part of this paper was written, seen
an extract from an old author and accurate observer (Francks),
stating that, " being angling one hot sun-shiny day, he took
umbrage under a tree near the river, from the heat of the sun,
and there observed two salmon, male and female, in the act
of depositing their spawn," which he describes very particu-
larly, and which description coincides with later and more
accurate observations of the present day ; therefore, it must be
admitted, that this "hot sun-shiny day" could not have been
in the winter months. And in Mr. Yarrell's own work, I ob-
serve it is stated, that in Sweden salmon do spawn in the
summer ; is it therefore unlikely that they may occasionally
spawn in the summer in this countrj^, and in other months ?
In further support of this I will mention, that in the estu-
aries, or within a short distance in the fresh water, the same
net will occasionally draw out salmon of every size, varying
from one to four pounds, and upwards ; and if the mesh be
sufficiently fine, down to the smallest samlet ; which alone
proves, from their different sizes, that they must have been
produced at various times of the year. I have myself seen
salmon of every size, varying from half-a-pound up to ten
pounds, in each month, from May to December ; yet Mr.
Yarrell says there is no instance of one in the autumn under
sixteen or eighteen inches in length ; those who have been
fishing in the fresh water within a short distance of the tide-
way of rivers, will bear testimony to what I say, that they
are numerous at that time, and it needs but little enquiry and
observation to ascertain this, and even so late as December,
as I have already noticed in the previous paper. I will just
remark, that those between half-a-pound and three pounds in
weight, are called, in different places, salmon-peal, morts,
salmon-morts, grilse, sewin, and various other names, except
the right one, which only tends to mystify the subject ; and
some will even pretend to say they are a distinct species, but
1G8 ON THi; YOUNG OF THE SALMON.
any person acquainted with the salmon in their various
stages, needs no information as to what species they belong.
It is a common observation amongst anglers, in the months
of June and July, that there are, at that time, few or no sam-
lets in the rivers (having, as is supposed, all gone down to
the sea), and this opinion is formed, because few are then to
be taken with the rod and line. This may be accounted for
as follows : — the previous shoals, the produce of the general
spawning time, having migrated to the sea, leave behind a
superabundance of food for the lesser number that remain,
being the produce of a later period of spawning, so that the
invitation, with hook and line attached, is not taken so rea-
dily, and the angler can find but little sport, although several
may even then be occasionally captured. That they are
then tolerably numerous in the rivers, is proved by the suc-
cess which I have known to attend the discreditable prac-
tice of netting with illegal nets at that time. In xlugust and
September, when there is not that abujidance of insect food
as in the summer months, the hook and line becomes again
tolerably successful, and from this circumstance it is said,
though erroneously, that there are a larger quantity of the
samlets in the rivers, and a name is given them as a distinct
species.
If one circumstance more than another tends to prove the
autumn-samlet to be the young of the salmon, the following
may be mentioned. In the estuaries of rivers, in the month
of December, and doubtless, in other months (but I speak
only from my own observations), these fish may be seen,
varying in size, from two ounces to a quarter-of-a-pound,
changing their red spots and trout-like appearance for the
darker spots and silvery appearance of the salmon, those of
the larger size having completely acquired their salmon-like
appearance, and which external change, it is well known, the
salmon-fry undergo in the salt-water. That this alteration
in their appearance is caused by coming in contact with a
different element, joined with a different description of food,
I think is very probable. The exact time I speak of was
the 29th of December. Now, I think it must be admitted,
that seeing these fish in their various stages in the salt water,
at a time when they are said to be but of one size, and
spawning in the fresh water, must make an impression on the
mind of the observer that they are not a distinct species, but
the young of some other fish, and that fish the salmon. I
know of no better situations for coming to a right conclusion
than places of this kind, where they may be seen in all their
various stages, and T would beg to call upon those who re-
ON THE SPECIES OF CICINDELA AND ELAPHRUS. 169
side near the tide-way of rivers, to turn their attention to the
subject, so that the observations of one person being confirmed
by others, the public mind will become convinced, and these
fish preserved, as the young of salmon, from indiscriminate
destruction.
I trust I have brought forward sufficient circumstantial
evidence, to estabhsh the correctness of my belief, that the
samlets are the young of the salmon ; but as we cannot be
too cautious in cases of this kind, it is my intention, should
my health permit, to visit various parts of Scotland, in
the ensuing summer, where, in the numerous rivers of that
country, I may possibly pursue the subject further; in that
event, I shall be happy to communicate the result of my ob-
servations. In the meantime, I would beg to name it as
worthy the attention of others, perhaps more capable of judg-
ing than myself, that, although Natural History is receiving
a large share of attention in all its branches, yet the history
of the salmon, in its various stages, appears to me to be very
imperfectly understood, though one of the most generally
distributed and valuable of our fishes.
Hereford, January 29, 1840.
Art. III. — Remarks on the Species of Cicindela and Elaphrus,
mentioned in Olivier. By The Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S. F.L.S.
Cicindela, Linnaeus.
Cicindelid(B, Leach. Cicindeloidea, Hope.
OKvier's Species. Country. Genera of Authors.
1 maxillosa Cape of Good Hope ...Manticora, Fahncms.
2 aptera East Indies Tricondyla, Latreille.
3 longicoUis Siam Colli/ris, Fabricius.
4 megacephalus Senegal Megacephala, Latreille.
6 grossa , Coromandel Apteroessa^^oi^e.
6 Chinensis China \
7 cincta Siena Leone CaZocAroa, Hope.
8 bicolor East Indies j
10 SST. !!!!!!]!! I ^^^^^^^ CmWe/a, Linnaeus.
11 nemoralis France.
1 2 purpurea North America.
13 sylvatica England.
14 tristis North America Oxycheilay De Jean.
15 interrupta Sierra Leone Calochroa, Hope.
Vol. IV.— No. 40. n. s. u
170 KfiMARKS ON THE SPECIES OF
Olivier's Species. Country. Genejra of Authors.
37Kr...:;::::::->'^p-^«-JH<'p-
18 jlexuosa Spain
19 Capensis Cape of Good Hope.
20 catena East Indies.
21 Germanica England Cy ^mc^era, Westwood.
22 tuhermUta New Zealand | Cicindela, Unn^xxs,
23 umpunctata South America j '
24 Cajennensis Cayenne Diplocheila, Brulle.
25 sexpunctata Malabar Calochroa, Hope.
26 quadrilineata ,..) ^ j^^.^^ Cicindela, Linneeus.
27 biramosa j '
28 sexguttata Carolina.
29 punctulata North America.
30 octoguttata Sierra Leone Cicindela, LinnsBus.
31 trifasciata Guadeloupe.
32 Carolina Carolina | Tetracha, Westyvood.
33 Virgimca ;. .Virginia j '
%i ^?"7 4^^f?-;- 1 acmtZ./a, Linnaeus.
35 minuta East Indies [ '
36 emarginata Paris Z^ry^to, Fabricius.
Elaphrus, Fabricius.
2^S7„7:::::::::fat''l::::::::::::::::::}^M-,Fabrioius.
3 carahoides Austria.
4 littoralis Paris BemhidiumyVM^er.
6 7e!!^Zltaius ".'.'] England Nothiophilus,J)Mmexx\.
7 Jlavipes England Bemhidiurriy Illiger.
Remarks and Annotations on the Species of Cicindela and Elaphrus men-
tioned in the above Tables.
Sp. 2. aptera. This insect, according to M. Brulle, is a Tri-
condyla of Latreille, and Colliuris major, Lat. appears to
be the same insect as Collyris aptera, Fab. In a letter
lately received from Westermann of Copenhagen this opin-
ion is incorrect, as he writes Col. major Latr. is quite
distinct from CoL aptera Fab. He remarks it is certainly
not apterous, but is a true winged Colliuris. It is nearly
as large as longicollis, black, and quite different from all
the blue species of Colliuris : vide Westermann in litt.
Sp. 3. grossa. Now an Apteroessa, Mihi : for an account of
its characters vide 'Manual,' part ii. page 159, fig. 1.
Sp. 9. campestris. The true type of Cicindela : the green
varieties of Cic. purpurea, Olivier, according to Mr. Kirby,
seem to be the American representatives of the European
campestris. In Africa, at the Cape of Good Hope, we
CICINDELA AND ELAPHRUS. 171
meet with Cic. rotundicollis, which may be regarded as
representing it on that continent. In a collection of in-
sects also made by Mr. Strickland in Asia Minor, there ap-
pears to be two undescribed species which closely resemble
Cic. campestris, Lin.
Sp. 11. hyhrida. For various observations respecting this spe-
cies, the reader is referred to Mr. Stephens's * Illustrations
of British Entomology,' vide vol. i. page 8, &c. Cicindela
hirticollis, Say, appears in the New World to represent the
European hyhrida.
Sp. 12. purpurea. This insect is subject to vary considera-
^V J by inexperienced entomologists some varieties are
regarded as distinct species. I suggest the adoption of the
Fabrician name oi marginalis instead of the above, on the
ground of priority.
Sp. 15. inter rupta. This species belongs to my genus Calo-
chroa ; it closely resembles some of the dark varieties of
C. Chinensis.
Sp. 16. lunulata. From Dr. Gistl's description I suspect
that the insect which he has named Cic. Hopei, is only a
variety of the Fabrician lunulata.
Sp. 20. catena. Olivier gives the East Indies and the Cape
of G ood Hope as the localities of this species ; in the lat-
ter continent I am inclined to think it never occurs. The
specimens purchased at Cape Town, from Verreaux and
other naturalists, are probably obtained from merchantmen
trading with India. A few years ago I purchased a collec-
tion labelled as " Insects of the CapeT At first sight I
was aware that they were peculiar to the East Indies, al-
though I could not state the exact locality ; on removing
the paper I discovered a memorandum that they were col-
lected at Singapore, and afterwards sold to a dealer at the
Cape : the locality turned out correct.
Sp. 22. tuherculata. This insect appears to be exceedingly
rare : it is rarely to be found in modern collections. The
Banksian cabinet contains almost the only specimen which
has fallen under my notice.
Sp. 23. unipunctata. Olivier gives South America as the
locality for this species ; I am inclined to think it peculiar
to North America.
Sp. 25. sexpunctata. This species enjoys a very wide range ;
it occurs at Bombay, Ceylon, Madras, Calcutta, Singapore
and Assam : it is subject to considerable variation of mark-
ings and colour, some of its varieties have been considered
as distinct. One, which in General Hardwicke's collection
was named by me Cic. Jlavomaculata, is only a variety.
Olivier's figure is execrable.
172 ON THE SPECIES OF CICINDELA AND ELAPHRUS.
S]^. 26. quadrilineata. This species is exceedingly abun-
dant. I have seen Indian basket-work ornamented with
the elytra of this insect ; the effect was good. From the
account I received from my informant, the Malays and some
of the races which inhabit Singapore, adorn their handy-
works with the wings of the above insect.
Sp. 30. octoguttata. I have thought proper to change Oli-
vier's locality for this insect; he records it as a species from
South America. Fabricius mentions North America ; Pa-
lisot Beauvois the Island of St. Domingo ; Schonherr, in
his ' Synonymia Insectorum,' gives Sierra Leone as its na-
tive country ; and with the latter authority I am inclined
to side.
Sp. 31. trifasciata. This insect must not be confomided
with our European species, which is evidently distinct.
The trifasciata of the New World enjoys a very extended
range, occurring in North and South America as well as in
several of the West Indian isles.
Sp. 35. minuta. This species has not fallen under my no-
tice ; I give it as a Cicindela on the authority of French
entomologists.
Sp. 36. emarginata. Now a Drypta according to Fabricius.
Olivier considered Drypta as a Cicindela; according to
modem views the Dryptidm constitute a particular family,
consisting of several genera. As far as is at present known
respecting Drypta, it belongs to the Old World. The
European species are comparatively rare inland ; in Sicily
and Italy it is abundant under the rejectamenta maris ; in
England I believe it has only been found on the coast of
Hastings and Devonshire. In Scotland, some years back,
I captured it at Leith in a similar situation. Although it
does not appear to be known in the New World, I think it
not improbable that it will eventually be found there, oc-
curring perhaps in North as well as South America. The
East Indies afford several species ; those from tropical
Africa are worthy of notice, some in my collection are from
the banks of the Gambia, and others from Sierra Leone.
JElaphrvs, Fabricius.
The genus Elaphrus was by Linna3us regarded as a Cicin-
dela, Geoffroy properly considered it as belonging to Carahus
rather than to the former genus; he however injudiciously
applied to the species the name of Buprestis. Fabricius first
separated them from Carahus, and they now form a family by
themselves, according to the views of Messrs. Stephens and
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 173
Kirby. My friend the Comte de Castelneau arranges with
them the Lehiadce. Preferring the English authorities, in
my Manual I have adopted their views. As a group it ap-
pears (as far as is known at present) to frequent northern
climes, no instance having occurred of its appearance in
southern regions.
Sp. 1. riparius of Linnaeus and Olivier appears to be the self-
same species, the riparius of Schrank however is El. uli-
ginosus of Fabricius.
Sp. 2. paludosus. This is probably only a variety of the
preceding species.
Sp. 3. caraboides. This insect is apparently unknown in the
Parisian collections at present. Schonherr evidently regards
it as a distinct species. It is singular that the Baron De
Jean does not mention it in his last Catalogue.
Sp. 4. littoralis. This species cannot be considered as an
Elaphrus. The Baron De Jean, in his Catalogue of 1833,
applies the name of littoralis, Megerle, to another species
of Elaphrus from Himgary ; it would be better to substi-
tute that of Megerlei or Dejeanii for the last species, in-
stead of the name already used by OHvier.
Sp. 5. aquaticus. Now a Nothiophilus of Dumeril : for an
account of our British species I refer to Mr. Waterhouse's
Monograph in the first volume of the ' Entomological Ma-
gazine,' in which eighteen species are described.
Art. IV. — Notes on Irish Katural History, more especially Ferns.
By Edward Newman, Esq., F.L.S., &c.
( Contintied from page \2A).
It was a brilliant morning when I took my leave of Sheely,
and a last lingering look towards those beautiful caverns,
which, once to have seen, is worth more than the fairest pic-
ture of imagination. The road towards Cahir is wide and
straight ; it possesses little to interest the traveller, except
the joyous faces of the happy people, whom I met by
crowds on their way to the market at Mitchelstown. The
poorer Irish appear to me the most easily contented, and the
most philosophically and truly happy of any peasantry I have
ever seen ; faithful, generous, warm-hearted, fearless, and
reckless : they smile in peace over a handful of bad potatoes,
and devoutly thank the Providence who provides it. Oh !
174 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
what have politicians to answer for who try to teach these
people that they are unhappy ! I verily believe that there is
not a peasant in Tipperary who has not a lighter heart and a
clearer conscience than half the legislators of St. Stephen's.
To use the words of Lady Chatterton, " I have come to the
wise determination of allowing people to be happy in their own
way ; the more we see of the world the more convinced must
we be, how totally independent of every outward cause and
circumstance is happiness : that it springs entirely from the
mind the Irish are living and laughing proofs '."
The fine range of Galtees forms the horizon on the left, the
Knockmildown chain on the right, and as I approached Ca-
hir, a rich and highly cultivated valley opened before me,
lying along the base of the Knockmildowns, and stretching
towards Clonmel. In England you meet with few more cul-
tivated scenes than this ; it is watered by the Suir, and is
exceedingly productive. A considerable part of this fine
tract belongs, as I was told, to Lord Glengall, and is let to
the actual occupier, at the high rent of S6s. to 40.9. per Irish
acre : I say actual occupier, because this enormous rent does
not go into the pocket of the freeholder ; the rent received
by his lordship being much less.
Cahir is an interesting little town, situated on the Suir :
here I observed a well-fruited orchard, and several very good
gardens, in which I was particularly struck with the beauty
and luxuriance of some of the plants, more particularly
hydrangeas, fuchsias, myrtles and laurels; the walls, especially
of the castle. Lord Glengall's residence, are covered with
Polypodium vulgare, occasionally mixed with Asplenium Ruta-
muraria, Asp. Trichomanes and Asp, Adiantum-nigrum. The
castle is kept in good repair, but is not a remarkably orna-
mental building.
I proceeded by Bianconi to Clonmel, through a rich flat-
tish country, finely wooded, where there were little hills ;
the land is highly cultivated and very productive. Clonmel
is pleasantly situated on the Suir, and is surrounded by gen-
tlemen's seats, in beautifully wooded demesnes. The coun-
try continues rich and well cultivated to Carrick-on-Suir ;
the hills continue to be luxuriantly wooded, and the river,
which runs near the road, is very picturesque ; the stone
walls are but few, and English-looking hedges tolerably
abundant. The crops of wheat, oats, and barley, pro-
mised well. Carrick is an old town, with abundance of spirit
stores, whence issued a swarm of beggars. Four miles from
' ' Raml)les in the South of Ireland,' vol. i. p. 12.
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 175
Carrick is Pilltown, a most delightful village : nearly all the
cottages are of the neatest possible description, and half
hidden by wreaths of clematis, roses, myrtles, and fuchsias.
The timber is also very fine, the gardens brilliant with flow-
ers, and the crops of corn in the neighbourhood clean, even,
and most abundant. I have seen no village in England
superior in neatness or beauty to Pilltown. I saw a field
of oats cut, and in sheaves, not a usual mode of husbandry
in England : the wheat was apparently ready for the sickle.
From Pilltown to Waterford the country is highly cultivat-
ed, very English looking, and very beautiful ; the hills are
wooded, and the approach to the city of Waterford, over the
wooden bridge, is very picturesque. Between Clonmel and
Waterford I observed the following fems : — Lomaria spi-
cant, Pteris aquilina, Polypodium vulgare, Polystichum
aculeatum, LastrcBa Filicc-maSy Las. dilatata^ Athyrium Fi-
lix'fcemina, Asplenium Adiantum-mgrum,Asp. Trichomanes,
Asp. Ruta-muraria, Scolopendrium vulgar e^Ceterach officina-
rum, and Osmunda regalis : the last-named species had been
gradually getting more rare after leaving the boggy districts,
and was now but seldom seen.
Waterford is a one-sided place, having its principal street
(called the quay) situated at the very outside of the town ;
this quay is fine, nearly a mile in length, and crowded with
shipping ; the river Suir is here really noble, and capable,
at high water, of floating ships of any burthen. Almost
immediately below the town, the Suir is joined by the Bar-
row, a still more noble and beautiful stream, and in my estima-
tion, one of the finest rivers in the kingdom. From Wa-
terford I re-crossed the long wooden bridge, and proceeding
towards Ross found the country poor, and although generally
cultivated, producing but meagre crops, and those principally
potatoes. There was nothing in Ireland struck me as more
requiring reform than the mode of cultivating potatoes. In
London, every one expects to see a good potato on his table,
as a matter of course. I never recollect seeing at a London-
er's table, a dish either of half-boiled potatoes, or watery po-
tatoes, or waxy potatoes, or potatoes full of bruises and sore
places : such things can be obtained in London, of a certainty,
but never at the table of a Londoner. (I will just observe,
par parenthese, that every vegetable is better in London than
in any part of the United Kingdom.) Now, in Ireland, there
appears to be no care taken, when setting a crop, that all the
seed be of one variety. The earliest and latest sorts very
commonly occur in the same row ; and I have often seen on
the same dish, some potatoes green and watery, some waxy.
176 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
and some beautifully floury. The season for each would have
come round in its turn, but the Irishman knows but one sea-
son for setting potatoes, and one for getting them in. I re-
marked that the only criterion by which an Irishman judges
of the value of his potato crop, is the vigour of the haulm,
and this every horticulturist in England would consider
most fallacious ; for it is well known that the portions above
and below ground often increase or decrease, in an inverse
ratio. A second fault is the carelessness with which they are
harvested ; throughout the West and South of Ireland, at the
inns, you will constantly see halves and fractional parts of po-
tatoes, which almost everyone rejects, and which are, therefore,
wasted. At Ross I made many enquiries about the price of
potatoes, seeing that root was so staple an article of agricul-
ture. I found the then price was 3jc?. to 4jc?. per stone of
14 lbs., that they had been as low as 2jc?., and this only a
short time previously ; but owing to the failure in the west,
a very considerable export of potatoes from Ross to Clifden,
Galway, Tralee, &c., had taken place ; and this diminution of
supply had raised the price : at Tralee, the price of potatoes
was 6je/., at Galway, 7d., and at Clifden 7^d. per stone, when
I was at those towns ; this is an unusually high price, and
does not correspond with the price of labour, Qd. or at most
^d. per day. I hope the readers of the ' Magazine of Natural
History ' will not grumble at this dissertation on potatoes :
if they do, I can make no apology for its introduction ; for
I conceive a true lover of his race, as a naturalist ought to
be, cannot consider the welfare of the Irish peasant a sub-
ject beneath his notice ; and I believe the introduction of a
dozen good productive varieties of the potato would be a
blessing to Ireland, far less equivocal, that the political nos-
trums so frequently proposed.
At Clonroche, on the road between Ross and Enniscorthy,
I was struck by the preparations making by the tenants of
Lord Carew, to give him a public dinner. A tent of enor-
mous size had been erected, and the expense defrayed by
rather more than three hundred tenants : I enquired whether
this was a return for any particular popular act on the part of
his lordship, but found that it was simply a testimony of re-
spect and esteem.
In the journey from Waterford to Enniscorthy I saw none but
the commoner ferns, Polystichum aculeatum becoming more
abundant, and Osmunda regalis more rare. Enniscorthy is
an old and large town, built on the side of a hill, and by every
approach you enter it through a long line of very humble,
and not particularly clean cottages ; all the good buildings
NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 177
being in the centre of the town, and reminding one of Pal-
myra and the cities of the East, as seen by us through the
optics of Silk Buckingham, whom, if my memory serve me
aright, I have heard eulogizing the mode of confining the
palaces, &c., to the centre of bustle, dust, and smoke. The
castle in the middle of the town, now occupied by the Pro-
testant curate, is a striking building. I mounted the cele-
brated Vinegar Hill, an eminence close to the town, whence
an agreeable view of the surrounding country is obtained :
the hills on every side rise with gentle slopes, and are prettily
wooded. Vinegar Hill appears to be composed of granite ;
the summit is bare, with the exception of large patches of
Sedum Anglicum. The country around Enniscorthy is ge-
nerally hilly, the land apparently poor, but invariably culti-
vated, although the crops were very indifferent. Stone walls
are comparatively rare, and are replaced by furze-hedges ;
and I not unfrequently observed fiirze had been sown in the
interstices of stone walls. These furze-hedges are in many
places allowed to become wild and straggling ; and not only
is their appearance in this state very untidy, but their utility,
as fences, very questionable. Throughout the South of Ire-
land furze is grown in some abundance, as food for cattle :
it is cut very firequently, and always while the shoots are young
and tender ; and is bruised previously to being given them.
The river Slaney, which runs through the town, is a noble
and navigable stream.
Leaving Enniscorthy I passed through Ferns, Gorey, Ark-
low, and Rathdrum, to Wicklow : there was little for the
naturalist to observe, except the superabundance of furze
hedges ; and now, travelling by coach, I was compelled to
take such roads as coaches could travel, and thus I missed
the vale of Ovoca, and must trust to hearsay, that
" There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet,
As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet :"
for the wooden bridge at Ovoca, and divers minor bridges,
had been swept away by the flood of the 30th of July, and
there was no longer any coach-road through " the sweet vale
of Ovoca." The road from Wicklow to Newtown-Mount-
Kennedy is pretty ; from Newtown-Mount-Kennedy to Bray
it is fine. This latter passes through the glen of the Downs ;
steep and beautiful hills are piled up almost perpendicularly
on each side of you ; and the glen, which pretty much con-
sists of the demesne of Mrs. Latouche, is completely wooded
with majestic evergreens ; such Arhutiis, Quercus sempervi-
VoL. IV.— No. 40. N. s. X
178 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY.
reus, and laurel, are not to be seen in England ; — the laurels
are magnificent.
From Bray to Luggelaw on Lough Tay, is a wild walk
through some fine Wicklow scenery. Lough Tay is a sweet
place ; there is such a bold bluff, such a tumultuous multi-
tude of rocks stretching out into the lake, that 1 gazed on the
scene with nearly as much delight as on any that the island
had before afforded. Lough Dan, a few miles further, is beau-
tiful, exquisitely beautiful, but its beauty is less bold, its
grandeur is not sublime. I found on the banks of Lough
Dan, Lomaria spicant, Pteris aquilina, Poly podium vulgar e,
Polystichum aculeatum, Lastrcea Filix-mas, Las. dilatata.
Las, Oreopteris, Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, Aspl. Buta-
muraria, Aspl. Trichomanes, Scolopendrium vulgare, Os-
munda regalis, Isoetes lacustris, and Littorella lacustris.
Near the little village of Roundwood I saw, in a bog, a
profusion of Pinguicula Lusitanica, Malaxis paludosa, and
Narthecium ossifragum ; the latter plant, and Anagallis te-
nella^ are most abundant on nearly all the Irish bogs. From
Roundwood, I bent my course to the Seven Churches of
Glendalough, a place which, if one might enjoy it alone, is
well worthy of an hour's contemplation ; but alas ! it is s o
infested with guides, that one is driven half wild with the
clamour. I here had two companions, and 1 think about
forty guides followed us with unremitting assiduity ; at last
we escaped them and looked back on the stately round tower
of Glendalough, fringed at half its height with a belt of Pa-
rietaria : on the walls of the churches and ruins I observed
the three more common species oi Asplenium, Scolopendrium
vulgare, and Ceterach officinarum^ and one roof was half co-
vered with Mentha rotundifolia. In the lake we found Lo-
belia Dortmanna, LJttorella lacustris, and Isoetes lacustris ;
then, turning away from its margin, we made for the wa-
terfall ; and here, as I was scrambling over the slippery
rocks in search of Hymenophyllum, I lost my footing, and
fell plump into the stream ; but luckily, making the descent
legs first, I kept myself upright, and affectionately embracing
a projecting rock, I maintained my position in spite of the
power of the river, and joined heartily in the laugh of one
of my companions. This district is full of ferns and mosses ;
Ims. Oreopteris, generally so rare in Ireland, here occurs in
boundless profusion ; and the varieties oi Las. dilatata, whe-
ther flat, convex, or concave, seem absolutely endless : from
every crevice in the rocky hills which surround that pic-
turesque lake, this fern may be seen waving its bright green
fronds. Here and there, as we proceeded, a huge mass of
FOSSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN. 179
Polypodium vulgar e, perhaps the growth of centuries, was
sending forth its thousand fronds ; but everywhere, heath, and
fern, and moss, and rock, and trickling streams of water, were
so mingled with the forestry moored in the crevices, that it
was a scene goodly to look on and delightful to scramble over.
Afterwards the hill became bare, and a little track of steps
worn or cut in the rocks, showed that human beings went
further down towards the water. It was very steep, but we
descended in single file ; presently our leader disappeared ;
he had entered that strange cavity in the rock called St.
Kevin's bed ; I followed, and our companion followed me.
It is a strange excavation, and its romantic situation, the
difficulty of access to it, and the little probability of a visit,
point it out as a likely residence for such an ascetic as St.
Kevin. We read the autographs of Scott, Moore, and other
wise men who had ventured into this strange place, and had
written their names against the wall ; and there we sat, hud-
dled together, gazing out upon
" That lake whose gloomy shore,
Skylark never warbled o'er :"
and so end my Notes on the Natural Histoiy of Ireland.
Art. V. — A Systematic Catalogue of the Fossil Plants of Britain.
By John Morris Esq.
{Continued from page 80.)
Hymenophyllites, ' Gopp.
Fronds membranous, bi- or tri-pinnate ; pinnules pinnatifid and dilated
at the base, adhering to the rachis, which is generally winged. Veins sim-
ple, direct, one to each lacinia, rarely dichotomous. Sori roundish, mar-
ginal.
* Rachis terete.
Hymen, quercifolius, Gopp. page 252, tab. 14, fig. 1, 2. Coal
measures, Silesia.
Humholdtii, Gopp. page 254, tab. 31, fi^. 1, 2. Coal
measures, Waldenburg.
' In the last part of Sternberg's ' Flora der Vorwelt,' Presl has referred to
a new genus, Rhodea, some species of Goppert's Hgmenophgllites and Tri-
chomanites ; the genus is characterized as follows. —
Rhode A, Presl. Sternb. Flor. der Vorw. part vii. and viii. page 109. —
Frond bi-tripinnate, slender, pinnulce dichotomously pinnatifid, parted or
linear, running down a filiform rachis. Veins pinnately branched.
180 FOSSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN.
■** Rachis mnged.
crenulatus, Gopp. page 255. Sphenopteris crenulata,
Brong. Hist. i. page 187, tab. 56, fig. 3 ; Sternb. part v.
and vi. page 60. Oolite shale, Yorkshire.
Grandini, Gopp. page 255, tab. 15, fig. 12. Sphenop-
teris alata, Brong. Hist. i. page 180, tab. 48, fig. 4; Sternb.
part V. and vi. page 59. Coal measures, Geislautern.
PhilUpsii, Gopp. page 256. Sphenopteris hymenophyl-
loides, Brong. Prod, page 50; Hist. i. page 189, tab. 56,
fig. 4 ; Sternb. part v. and vi. page 60. Sphenopt. stipata,
Phillips, tab. 10, fig. 8. Oolite shale, Gristhorpe Bay.
obtusilohus, Gopp. page 257. Sphenopteris trichoma-
noides, Brong. Hist. i. page 182, tab. 48, fig. 3 ; Sternb.
part V. and vi. page 59. Rhodea, Presl. Coal measures,
Valenciennes.
— Gersdorjii, Gopp. 257, tab. 37, fig. 1, 2. Rhodea, Presl.
T^'ansition slate, Landshut, Silesia.
Brongniartii, Gopp. page 258. Sphenopteris Brong-
niartii, Sternb. part v. and vi. page 57. Sphen. striata,
Brong. Prod, page 50 ; Hist. i. page 208, tab. 48, fig. 2.
Coal measures, Glascow.
— Williamsonis, Gopp. page 259. Sphenopteris digitata,
Phillips, tab. 8, fig. 6, 7. Sphen. Williamsonis, Brongn.
Hist. i. page 177, tab. 49, fig. 6 — 8 ; Sternb. part v. and vi.
page 58 ; Lindl. and Hutt. ii. page 139, tab. 31. Rhodea,
Presl. Oolite shale, Gristhorpe Bay.
furcatus, Gopp. page 259. Sphenopteris furcata.
Brong. Hist. i. page 179, tab. 49, fig. 4, 5; Sternb. part v.
and vi. page 58; Lindl. and Hutt. iii. tab. 181 ? Rhodea,
Presl. Coal measures, Northumberland; Wardie; Bel-
gium ; Saarbruck ; Waldenburg.
— dissectus, Gopp. page 260. Sphenopteris dissecta,
Brong. Hist. i. page 183, tab. 49, fig. 2, 3; Sternb. part
V. and vi. page 59. Rhodea, Presl. Coal measures, St.
George's-Chatellaison; Montrelais; St. Hippolyte, Vosges;
Berghaupten ; Waldenburg.
Zohelii, Gopp. page 260, tab. 36, fig. 3, 4. Rhodea,
Presl. Coal measures, Waldenburg.
macrophyllus, Gopp. page 262. Sphenopteris macro-
phylla, Brong. Prod, page 50 ; Hist. i. page 212, tab. 58,
fig. 3; Sternb. part v. and vi. page 65. Rhodea, Presl. —
Stonesfield slate.
Trichomanites, Gopp.
Fronds thin, hi- or tvi-pinnate, filiform, rachis terete : pinnulce dichoto-
mously divided. Veins divergent, simple.
FOSSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN. 181
Triclioman. myriophyllus, Gopp. page 263. Sphenopteris
7nyriophyllum, Brong. Prod, page 51 ; Hist. i. page 184,
tab. 55, fig. 2 ; Stemb. part v. and vi. page 59. Gres hi-
garre, Sulz-les-bq.ins.
Kaulfussii, Gopp. page 264. Coal measures, St. Ing-
bert, Germany.
bijldus, Gopp. page 264. Sphenopteris bifida, Lindl.
and Hutt. i. page 147, tab. 53; Sternb. part v. and vi. page
60 ; Edinb. Trans. 13, tab. 6, fig. 1, 2. Coal measures,
Edinburgh.
Beinertii, Gopp. page 265, tab. 32, fig. 1. Hymeno-
phyllites, Presl. Coal measures, Charlottebrunn.
adnascens, Gopp. page 266. Schizopteris adnascens,
Lindl. and Hutt. ii. tab. 100, 101. Coal measures, White-
haven.
delicatulus, Gopp. page 267. Schizopteris delicatula,
Brong. Hist. i. page 183, tab. 58, fig. 4. Rhodea, Presl.
Coal measures, Saarbruck.
Sillimani, Nob. Sphenopteris Sillimani, Mant. Geol.
South East Engl, page 239. Hastings sands, Heathfield.
Steffensia, Gopp.
Fronds tripinnate ; pinnula ovate ; veins divergent, direct, soriferous to-
wards the margin, the sori roundish.
Steff. davalloides, Gopp. page 269, tab. 11, fig. 3, 4. Coal
measures, Waldenburg.
PECOPTERIDES, Gopp.
Fronds simple, pinnate, bi- or tri-pinnate, or bi- or tri-pinnatifid ; pin,'
nulce equal or dilated at the base (rarely contracted), adnate to the rachis,
or united to each other, midrib prominent, extending to the apex ; veins
variable ; in the narrow pinnules dichotomous, horizontal, and more or less
straight ; in the broader pinnulce they are dichotomous, oblique, having
the branches bi- or tri-furcate and anastomosing.
Beinertia, Gopp.
Fronds pinnate; veins pinnate, branches prominent, obliquely ascending,
dichotomously forked and parallel towards the margin. Fructification re-
sembling Gymnogramma.
Bein. gymnogrammoides, Gopp. page 273, tab. 16, fig. 4, 5.
Coal measures, Charlottebrunn.
182 FOSSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN.
DiPLAZITES, Gopp.
Fronds pinnate. Veins bipinnate, secondary veins arched, alternate. —
Sori linear.
Dipla. emarginatus, Gopp. page 274, tab. 16, fig. 1, 2. Coal
measures.
longifolius, Gopp. page 275. Pecopteris longifolia,
Brong. Prod, page 56 ; Hist. i. page 273, tab. 83, fig. 2. —
Coal measures, Saarbruck.
SCOLOPENDRITES, Gopp.
Fronds simple, linear, midrib thick, veins simple. Indusium large, ob-
long, free and dehiscent.
Scol. Jussieui, Gopp. page 276. Reussia, Presl; Stemb. part
vii. and viii. page 125. Filicites scolopendrioides, Brong.
Ann. des Sci. Nat. vol. xv. page 443, tab. 18, fig. 2 ; Brong.
Hist. i. page 388, tab. 137, fig. 2, 3. Ores higarr^, Sulz-
les-bains.
AsPLENiTES, Gopp.
Fronds pinnate, hi- or tri-pinnate, pinn<B equal or unequal, oblique and
somewhat rhomboid; veins obliquely ascending, simple or dichotomous. —
Sori linear or ovate-linear.
Aspl. heterophgllus, Gopp. page 278, tab. 18, fig. 1. Coal
measures, Charlottebrunn.
crispatus, Gopp. page 279, tab. 18, fig. 2, 3. Coal
measures, Charlottebrunn.
nodosus, Gopp. page 280, tab. 14, fig. 1 — 3. Coal mea-
sures, Landshut, Silesia.
ophiodermaticus, Gopp. page 280, tab. 17, fig. 1, 2. —
Coal measures, Waldenburg.
track yrrachis. Gopp. page 281, tab. 17, fig. 3, 4. Coal
measures, Waldenburg.
divaricatus, Gopp. page 282, tab. 20, fig. 1, 2. Coal
measures, Waldenburg.
— Palmetta, Gopp. page 283, tab. 15, fig. 6. Sphenop-
teris Palmetta, Brong. Prod, page 51 ; Hist. i. page 211,
tab. 55, fig. 1 ; Stemb. part v. and vi. page 64. New red
sandstone, Ores higarre, Sulz-les-bains.
Virlettii, Gopp. page 284. Sphenopteris Virlettii,
Brong. Prod, page 51 ; Hist. i. page 209, tab. 58, fig. 1,
2; Sternb. part v. and vi. page 64. Coal measures, St.
George's-Chatellaison.
FOSSIL PLANTS OF BRITAIN. 183
ACROSTICHITES, Gopp.
Fronds simple or pinnate ; veins oblique, dichotomously forked, digitate,
or anastomosing.
* Frond bipinnate.
Acros. Williamsonis, Gopp. page 285. Pecopteris William-
sonis, Brong. Prod, page 53; Hist. i. page 324, tab. 110,
fig. 1, 2 ; Lindl. and Hutt. i. page 125, tab. 126. Oolite
shale, Scarborough.
** Frond digitate.
Phillipsii, Gopp. page 286. Glossopteris Phillipsii,
Lindl. and Hutt. i. page 167, tab. 63; Stemb. part v. and
vi. page 69. Sagenopteris, Presl. Pecopteris pauci/olia,
Phillips, tab. 8, fig. 8, h. Oolite shale, Gristhorpe Bay.
in(Bquilaterus, Stemb. ; Gopp. page 287. Keuper,
SchruUendorf, Franconia ; Sinsheim, Baden.
WOODWARDITES, Gopp.
Fronds pinnatifid ; veins areolately reticulated, dichotomous towards the
margin; the areoles irregular, smaller near the midrib.
JVoodw. ohtusilohus, Gopp. page 289, tab. 21, fi^. 1. Sagen-
opteris, Presl. Coal measures, Waldenburg.
acutilohus, Gopp. page 289, tab. 21, fig. 2. Lonchop-
teris Goppertiana, Presl. Coal measures, Waldenburg.
Brownii,^oh.^ iy<?m^7e/^Ye5, Gopp. page 334, tab. 38,
fig. 1. Phlehopteris contigua, Lind. and Hutt. ii. tab. 144,
page 177. Oolite shale, Gristhoi-pe Bay.
Clathropteris, Brong.
Fronds pinnate. Midrib thick and excurrent ; veins simple, straight,
parallel, united by transverse venules, forming quadrangular areas : (as in
Meniscium, Drynaria, and some species of Acrostichum. Goniophlebium of
Smith.
Clath. meniscioides, Gopp. page 290, tab. 15, fig. 7. Filici-
tes meniscioides, Brong. Ann. des Sci. Nat. ] 825, vol. iv.
page 218 ; Bronn, Leth. Geogn. ii. tab. 13, fig. 2, page 149.
Zm.v, Hor; Neue- welt near Basle.
* J udging from the anastomosed veins at the base parallel to the midrib,
this species may be regarded as belonging to Woodwardites rather than to
Hemitelites, to which Goppert has referred it.
( To be continued).
184 ON A NEW GENUS OF FISHES FROM INDIA.
Art. VI. — On a new Genus of Fishes from India. By William
Thompson, Esq., Vice Pres. Natural History Society of Belfast.
In the course of last spring my friend Dr. Cantor, favourably
known to naturalists by his zoological investigations in India,
communicated a description and drawing of a new genus of
fishes for publication in this Magazine. From the drawing
a wood-cut was executed ; but in the mean time the descrip-
tion was unfortunately mislaid. When I last saw Dr. Cantor
in London, in the month of June, he was soon to re-embark
for India ; and having some time before given me a specimen '
of the fish in question, he urged me to draw up an account of
it. Considering it better that the discoverer should also be
the describer, I delayed, still in the hope that the missing
MS. might be discovered, but I am now informed that every
search has in vain been made for it.
Bregmaceros McClellandii, Cantor, MS.
To the ichthyologist this fish must, in every respect, be
highly interesting. It is from the brackish water of the Gan-
getic Delta, and ranks under the family Gad idee, which chiefly
inhabit the waters of the temperate and colder regions of the
globe. In generic form it is quite anomalous, the filament
springing from the upper part of the head — whence the name
Bregmaceros — giving to the species an unique appearance,
whilst the greatly elongated ventrals at once bring to mind
the genus Phycis (this being the only generic resemblance) ;
but instead of the ventrals consisting each of a single ray, as
in Phycis, we find these organs as numerous as in any genus
* Only two were obtained ; the other was, I believe, sent to the Radcliffe
Library, Oxford, along with the specimens and drawings illustrative of Dr.
Cantor's ' Spicilegium Serpentium Indicorum,' (published in the Zoologi-
cal Proceedings, 1839).
ON A NEW GENUS OF FISHES FROM INDIA. 185
llirougliout the family, unless Brotula (the number of whose
ventral rays I have not seen mentioned) should prove to be
an exception. It may be thus characterised.
Genus, Bregmaceros. Cantor, MS.
Body elongated : two dorsals ; one anal ; ventrals very long, consisting
of several rays: chin without barbule: a filament projecting from the top
of the head.
Species, Bregmaceros McClellandi. Cantor, MS. '
Head small j frontal filament equal to one fourth the length of body ;
ventrals equal to half its length ; first dorsal high, subtriangular ; second
very long, low and equal anteriorly, then moderately high ; anal resem-
bling three fins joined, the first portion high and subtriangular, the second
low and equal, the third of moderate height ; dorsal and anal correspond-
ing to each other throughout ; caudal foiled.
Description. — Length 3 inches, depth ^ an inch, thick-
ness J of an inch. Dorsal profile somewhat arched to first
D. fin, thence decreasing very gradually to the tail ; ventral
convex to the vent, thence coiTesponding with the dorsal out-
line. Head small, occupying one sixth of the entire length ;
snout truncated ; lower jaw barely exceeding the upper; teeth
numerous along the margin of both jaws, those in the up-
per very small and uniform, those in the lower varying in
size, and some considerably larger than those in the upper,
all pointed and hooked inwards ; similar teeth in front of vo-
mer : tongue large and fleshy : ege Inline in diameter, placed
at this distance from the snout ; a similar space intervening
between the eyes ; that between them and posterior line of
opercle equal to twice their diameter ; protected in front by a
slightly-elevated bony process, within which, and near to the
upper margin of the eyes, are situated the nostrils, which are
simple apertures ; operculum rounded ; rays of branchioste-
gous membrane — ? ^ filamentous or un articulated appendage
originating 4 lines from base of snout, 9 lines in length, very
delicate ; from its base to first D. is a deep chan- J^^
nel, with slightly-elevated TriglaAike scales on ^
either side, but smooth-margined. Scales of mod-
erate size, somewhat rounded at their free margins,
delicately sculptured,-' twelve in an oblique row from vent
to dorsal profile ; lateral line unmarked by colour and hardly
* The name was the only MS. left with me on the subject. The species
was named by Dr. Cantor in honour of his friend, J. McClelland, Esq.,
whose researches in the Zoology and Geology of India are well known.
2 Seven are given as a family character : in this instance I could not be
satisfied of the number, four only being reckoned with certainty. Repeti-
tions of some of the family characters appear in the description, as I did
not consider them misplaced in a genus entirely new.
^ See figure 7, which is a magnified view of a scale from the lateral line.
Vol. IV.— No. 40. n. s. " y
186 ON A NEW GENUS OF FISHES FROM INDIA.
distinguishable, taking the form of dorsal profile, at first
nearer to the dorsal than ventral outline, then midway be-
I tween them : vent 11 lines from extremity of lower jaw.
Fins. — Ventrals originate 3j lines from last-named point,
have six or seven rays, the three or four inner ones of ordina-
ry size and bifurcated, the three outer unbranched, greatly
prolonged, and of singular structure, the first 13, the second
and third 18 lines in length ; they are beautifully and conspi-
cuously articulated, the articulations increasing in length to-
wards the filamentous termination ; these rays are very broad
towards the base, and are winged or margined on either side
by a beautifully transparent process, in form calling to mind
the dorsal lamitia of the cephalopodous genus Loligo: pec-
torals elongate triangular, placed high, originating 5|- lines
from snout, 5j lines long, first ray shorter than the succeed-
ing nineteen, the shorter bifurcated, the longer unbranched,
protected by scales at the base : first dorsal broadly triangu-
lar, originating about 12 lines from snout, base occupying 7
lines, longest ray equal in length to the greatest depth of bo-
/^ dy , nineteen unbranched rays ; second dorsal originating close
behind the first, extending for 15 lines, to the base of caudal,
<^low and of uniform height at first, then becoming of moderate
)0' elevation, thirty-six ? unbranched rays ; anal originating llj-
lines from point of lower jaw and extending to base of cau-
dal, occupying '21 lines, about the first third broadly triangu-
lar and very prominent, its longest ray 7 lines, next third low,
short and equal, last third rather more than moderately deve-
loped, longest ray of this portion 3 lines, sixty unbranched
rays in all, protected by scales at the base ; caudal small,
forked, 4 lines long, occupying one ninth of the entire length,
rays 12^, the longest doubly bifiircated.
Colour (in spirits) of a yellowish sandy hue along the back
and upper portion of sides, varied with minute black spots,
rather more than the lower half silvery, head of this colour ;
upper portion of pectorals and of both dorsals black, remain-
der hyaline ; caudal fin black ; ventrals and anal hyaline, ex-
cept a slight dusky tinge towards the extremity of the latter
fin.
This genus is so anomalous as to render quite unnecessary
a comparison between it and any other of the Gadidce.
Belfast, Feb, 1840.
[In a note accompanying Mr. Thompson's communication on this highly
interesting genus, he observes,—" To render the coramunication'the more
A-
MAMMALIAN REMAINS AT EPERNAY. 187
perfect, you should, if possible, have the following' alterations made in the
engraving : — two shorter rays should be added to the first D. fin, and the
second D. entirely altered ; this and the anal should be made to touch upon
the base of C. fin ; the whole body should be scaled over ; the frontal spine
too should originate in a line with the posterior margin of the eye. These
alterations made, the figure would be about perfect."
The engraving being on wood, unfortunately does not allow of the in-
troduction of the proposed corrections; but the characters of the genus are
so strongly marked, that no material ambiguity can result from the error
ou the part of the artist.— Ed.]
Art. VII. — On the occurrence of Mammalian Remains in the
Lower Eocene deposits of Epernay, Marne. By Jos. Prest-
wiCH, Juii., Esq., F.G.S. &c.
In a paper read before the Geological Society of Paris, De-
cember, 1837,^ I gav^e a short account of some peculiar or-
ganic remains, which I had found in a coarse arenaceous
stratum of the plastic clay series, forming the summit of
Mont Bernon, near Epernay.
As I have since added to the list of fossils which I then
was able to enumerate, you may, perhaps, think the substance
of the communication, along with a reference to a memoir
upon a nearly equivalent deposit in the neighbourhood of
Paris, by M. Chas. D'Orbigny, of sufficient interest for inser-
tion in your journal.
Epernay is situated upon the eastern margin of the basin
of Paris. The tertiary strata merely cap the hills, the bases
of which, with the valleys, consist of chalk. The small
streams flowing off" from the high table land, frequently ex-
pose, in their course down the steep declivities, excellent
sections of the several deposits.
Numerous small sections are also made in excavating the
bitumino-carbonaceous clays (cendres), common in the plastic
clay of this country, and used as manure for the vines. Se-
veral pits of this nature are worked on Mont Bemon, afford-
ing good opportunities of studying its structure ; but the
superposition of the beds is in some places rendered rather
obscure by numerous small faults, which range about 10° Fi.
of S., and 10° W. of N. Connecting, however, the various
sections, the following is, as well as I could ascertain, the
order of superposition, commencing from the summit.
' Bulletin Soc. Geol. dc France, vol. ix. p. 84.
1 8
3 Jl
1 0
188 OCCURRENCE OF
Ft. In.
1. Fresh-water limestone ; colour, clialk white... "j Superior to the
2. Green Marl ]■ Calcaire gros-
3. Light yellow and brown clay J sier.^
4. Fine yellow sand, without organic remains 6 10
passing into —
5. Coarse quartzose sand, sometimes mixed with ferruginous clay,
containing remains of Mammalia, reptiles, Jishes, and shells... 4 7
6. Soft Lignite, brown and black 1 4
7. Grey sand, with clay and veins of earthy, friable carbonate of
lime, passing downwards to a ferruginous, and lastly to a
light grey ?and ...• 6 3
8. Brown and ferruginous plastic clay 1 10
9. Light grey sand, passing downwards to a very ferruginous
sand 4 7
10. Dark grey plastic clay, intermixed with ferruginous sand I 0
11. Very soft and impure lignite „ 4
12. Brown and ferruginous plastic clay „ 8
13. Dirty yellow argillaceous sand, full of shells, almost all of the
genus Melania 1 4
14. Thinly laminated grey and brown plastic clay, with well-pre-
served specimens of Melania, Cyrena, Melanopsis, Neritina,
and traces of vegetables. It contains, in the lower part, a
thin bed of pyritical sandstone 1 4
15. This bed consists almost entirely of broken shells (principally
Melania), mixed with a little whitish sand 2 2
16. Fine whitish sand, with small patches oi Melania, Cyrena, Me-
lanopsis, &c. ; (the Planorbis hemistoma. Sow., is found also
inthisbed) 3 7
17. Yellow argillaceous sand, with many well preserved Cyrence... 1 8
18. Dark grey plastic clay 1 0
19. The same with shells, principally Melanice and small Ostrece. 1 0
20. Irregular lignite „ 4
21. Very friable yellow marl, with traces of leaves and shells, and
numerous seeds of the C7mra 1 2
22. Lignite „ 4
23. Dark grey plastic clay, with some shells 6 0
24. Irregular lignite „ 4
25. Similar to 21 I 2
26. Lignite „ 4
27. Similar to 23 2 4
28. Tough clay continuing apparently to the chalk, which appears
about 10 or 15 feet below 27; the contact between the two
is not, however, exposed.
These strata present rapid variations in thickness and lithological
structure. In almost all the beds of lignite and clay, selenite, carbo-
nate of lime, Websterite, oxide and sulphuret of iron, frequently
occur. The clays are all more or less carbonaceous.
The foregoing section exhibits the usual numerous alterna-
tions of the thin and very irregular strata, characteristic of
' The Calcaire grossier, which is well developed, and abounds in fossils
at a distance of about five miles westward of Epeniay, is here entirely
wanting. There are some fine sections of it at Damery, Arty, Finery,
Boursault, and neighbourhood.
MAMMALIAN REMAINS AT EPERNAY. 189
this fluviatile deposit, which is so frequently inteipolated in
the lower eocene of England and France ; but the remark-
able fact connected with this locality, is the occurrence of
the remains of several terrestrial Mammalia, associated with
those of reptiles, fishes, and shells. They are confined to
the lower part of the stratum of coarse sand. No. 5' of the
foregoing section, and are very scarce; whilst remains of
Testacea and bones of the Trionyx and Emys are far from
uncommon. The sand of that part of the bed in which they
are imbedded is coarser than other parts of the stratum, and
contains occasional pebbles of quartz. It varies rapidly in
thickness, from 10 to 20 feet, and the organic remains are
limited to a very small vertical range. ^ For the determina-
tion of the bones of the following list, 1 am indebted to M.
Laurillard, of Paris.
ORGANIC REMAINS OF STRATUM, No. 5.
MOLLUSCA.
Melania inquinata, De Fer.
Melanopsis buccinoidea, De Fer.
Paludina.
CONCHIFERA.
Anomia.
Cyrena P antiqua.
Teredina (personata P) Lam.
Teredina. Two uew species.
Anodonta.
Several scales, and bones.
PISHES.
REPTILES.
Crocodile ? 3 Several teeth.
Mososaurus P Part of a rib, and some teeth.
Numerous bones of the Trionyx and Emys.
Serpent. A vertebra. (See woodcut page 190.)
Lizard? Small species, a jaw-bone.
^ The organic reliquice of the underlying strata, assimilate to those
usually found in the plastic clay, the detail of them would therefore pre-
sent nothing new.
2 In its horizontal range, I have since traced this stratum along the
flanks of all the surrounding hills, especially at Cuys and Chavots, where
it abounds in large and well ^resevv edUniones, one species of which closely
resembles the Anodonta antiqua, figured by Charles D'Orbigny.
3 M. Drouet has found bones of the crocodile in some of the underlying
beds also.
190 OCCURRENCE OF
MAMMALIA.
Anthracotherium P Small species, a molar tooth.
Lophiodon. Perhaps two species ; four inferior molar teeth, one inferior
canine tooth. One femur^ one vertebra (atlas) not determinable, perhaps
of a rodent or carnivorous animal.
As I believe the occurrence of ophidian remains is rather
remarkable in the eocene series, the figure of the only one
specimen which I have found is annexed. '
This deposit presents a striking analogy with that described
by M. Chas. D'Orbigny, at Meudon. In both places, the
strata containing these terrestrial reliquice, have evidently
been produced by a river action more violent than that which
has accumulated the accompanying strata. At the same
time their superposition is not precisely the same, as may be
seen by the following section given by M. Chas. D'Orbigny,
of the Hill of Meudon.
Ft. In
1. Calcaire grassier 46 2
f 6 6
2. Plastic clay, mottled red, grey,&c \ to
I 26 2
3. White marl, with a few calcareous nodules 1 2
4 . liignite, with larg e Paludince and Anodonta 1 4
5. Finely laminated clay, with crystals of selenite, and layers of
ferruginous sandstones „ 8
6. Conglomerate of plastic clay, with pebbles of chalk and piso-
litic limestone, sometimes 10 inches in diameter, enclosing
remains of Mammalia, fishes, with marine and fluviatile
shells 1 6
7. Yellowish, slightly coherent, calcaire grassier, with numerous
fossils, amongst which occurs the Cerithium giganteum 4 7
8. Laminated marl, with pectens „ 2
9. Calcaire grassier, with numerous fossils, chalk, hard and yel-
lowish, with irregular layers of flints, and numerous fossils. 4 11
• Mr. Owen has lately described to the Geological Society the remains
of a mammal, somewhat allied to the Chceropotamus and Peccari, found
by Mr. Richardson in the lower part of the London clay, at Heme Bay,
which would thus bring it to about the same age as theEpernay specimen.
He likewise gave an account of a series of vertehrcje from the London clay
of the Isle of Sheppey, in the fine collection of Mr. Bowerbank, which he
considered to belong to a large serpent, and has named it Palaophis
tolypeules.
MAMMALIAN REMAINS AT EPERNAY. 191
White chalk, in which were found, amongst other more ordinary fos-
sils, an indeterminable species of Cerithium, fragments of fishes,
part of the jaw with teeth and other hones of a large saurian, analo-
gous to that of Maestricht, and remains of a turtle, ahout 16 inches
long.
The yellow chalk contains the following fossils : —
CONCHIFERA.
Cardium Hillanum. Catillus Cuvieri, A. Brong.
Arca. Inoceramus Lamarckii.
Lima. Terebratula carnea, Sow.
Pecten quinque-costatus, Sow. octoplicata, Sow.
Pectunculus. plicatilis, Sow.
NUCULA.
MOLLUSCA.
Trochus Basteroti, A. Brong. Pleurotomaria, or Solarium.
Turritella. Belemnites mucronatus, Schlot.
" MM. Elie de Beaumont and D'Archiac were the first to
announce to the Geological Society of France, the existence
of a marine calcareous stratum between the plastic clay and
the chalk of Meudon, to which a careful examination now
enables me [C. D'Orbigny], to add several new details." (See
section, p. 190),
This calcaire grossier is whitish or yellowish, and gene-
rally slightly coherent, frequently encloses numerous frag-
ments of Polyparia and Radiaria, and is characterised in
many places by the presence of numerous pisolitic grains.
This series contains the following fossils, some of which
had been previously determined by M. D'Archiac.
ZOOPHYTA.
0RBiT0LiTEsj9/awa. Characteristic T vrbj-soli a elliptica, A. Br.
of the central division of the cal- Flustra.
caire grossier. Eschara.
RADIARIA.
Spatangus. Of the same species as Cidaris (Spines of the)
the one found on the calcaire gros- Asteria (Articulations of)
sier of Grignon.
ANNULATA.
Dentalium. Serpula.
conchifera.
Crass A TELL A tumida, variety B., Cyther^a obliqua, Desh.
Lamk. Venus o6%Ma, Lamk., and another
Cordis lamellosa, Lamk. indeterminable species.
LuciNA grata^ Def. Corbula gallica, Lamk.
LuciNA contorta, Def. Venericardia.
192
OCCURRENCE OF
Cardium porulosum, Lamk.
granulosum, Lamk.
rufjosuniy Lamk.
obliquum, Lamk.
Cucui.L^A crassatina, Lamk.
Arca biangula, Lamk.
rudis, Desh.
barbatula P Lamk.
AucAjiligrana, Desli.
Chama.
MoDioLA cordata^ Lamk.
Lima infiata.
Lima. New species, resembling tlie
Lima spalulata.
SOLEN.
MOLLUSCA.
lIippoNTX cornu-copitB, Def.
CALYPTR^iA trochiformis F Lamk.
Natica patula, Desh.
Nerita angistoma.
Delphinula or Turbo.
Solarium paiulum, Lamk.
Trochus subcarinatus P
TuRRiTELLA imbricataria, Lamk.,
Variety C.
TuRRiTELLA (indeterminable.)
Cerithium giganteum, Lamk.
Cerithium se7ni-costatum, Desh.
Fusus.
Oliva Branderis P
CVPR^A.
Pleurotomaria concava P
Nautilus. An indeteraiinable spe-
cies, found by M. Raulin.
MiLLiOLiTEs. Very numerous.
PISCES.
Teeth of the Squalus.
" It will be perceived that the fossils of this deposit are
tertiary, and that not one is common to the underlying chalk,
with which it appears some French geologists had classified
it." M. D'Orbigny, who designates this deposit under the
name of Calcaire plsolitique tertiaire, then mentions several
localities in which it occurs, in the vicinity of Paris, as at
Bougival, Port Marley, Vigny, and Auteuil. He also consi-
ders the shelly beds of calcaire grossier of Laversine, near
Beauvais, as the equivalent of the same stratum.
A pit recently excavated at Montalets, Bas Meudon, led
M. Chas. D'Orbigny to discover a series of new and interest-
ing strata immediately overlying the above-mentioned cal-
caire plsolitique (see section, p. 190), and from the chalky
conglomerate No. 6, he obtained the following reliquice : —
Anodonta Cordierii, Ch. D'Orb.
antiqua, Ch. D'Orb.
FRESH-WATER SHELLS.
Paludina lenta.
Planorbis.
Cyclas.
Several bones of fishes, — species not determinable.
REPTILES.
Crocodile Several teeth, and fragment of a jaw.
Tortoises
Mososaurus
Several bones of Trionyx.
do. do. Emys.
Three teeth and part of the humerus of a great saurian,
approaching the Mososaurus, or monitor of the Maes-
tricht chalk.
Anthracotherium. -
(large species)
MAMMALIAN REMAINS AT KPERNAY. 193
MAMMALIA.
^Two inferior posterior molar teeth.
Two inferior anterior molar teeth.
One superior anterior molar tooth.
Canine tooth.
.Five incisors.
. . ,, . ( Superior molar tooth.
Anthracothenuyn- \ T„5jgQj.
rvery small species) . jjjferior molar tooth.
Lophiodon j Inferior canine tooth.
( Part of a rih.
Otter Inferior molar tooth.
j^ j One incisor.
( Posterior molar tooth.
Civet-cat P Superior anterior molar tooth.
Bone of the metacarpus and humerus of an indetermi-
nable carnivorous genus.
Squirrel p Superior incisor.
Incisor of an indeterminable rodent.
" Above the conglomerate is a series of beds of plastic
clay, slightly calcareous, and frequently arenaceous, with
crystals of selenite, gypsum, and numerous traces of vege-
tables which sometimes form an irregular seam of lignite."
"Associated with the terrestial debris are fresh-water Testacea,
of the genera Anodonta and Paludina, often cast in iron
pyrites, and much compressed." Stratum No. 2, is consi-
dered to represent the ordinary deposit of argile plasiique
of Paris, over which lies the thick deposit ofcalcaire grossier
proper.
In conclusion, M. D'Orbigny considers,
Istly, " That the genus Hamites existed until the end of
the cretaceous epoch, and that the chalk of the Paris Basin
contains turtles of a large size.
2dly, " That the plastic clay of the neighbourhood of
Paris is indisputably separated from the chalk by a distinct
group, which may be named Calcaire pisoliiique tertiaire,
and which, from the nature of its organic remains, belongs
evidently to the palseotherian and tertiary, and not to the
cretaceous period.
3dly, " That there evidently existed, during the accumu-
lation of the lower part of the plastic clay, several genera of
Mammalia, differing considerably from those discovered in
the upper series of the Paris Basin."
Whilst, however, this fluviatile deposit is, in the neighbour-
hood of Paris, distinctly proved to be interpolated between
two well characterized portions of the calcaire grossier^ it
can, in Champagne, only be considered as synchronous with
the lower part of the eocene series. At Damery, the plastic
Vol. IV.— No. 40. n. s. z
194 DESCRIPTIONS OF A FEW LO^"GICOR^S.
clay with its characteristic fossils, may be seen underlying
the calcaire grossier, but its position with regard to the sac-
charine fossiliferous limestone of Mont Aime and Vertu *
(imagined to be the equivalent of the calcaire pisolitiqiie),
is yet uncertain, although the latter reposes, in some places,
immediately upon the chalk, and in others, is only separated
from it by a few feet of clay, containing remains exclusively
marine. At neither ofthese localities,however, where this lime-
stone varies in thickness from 60 to 100 feet, is it overlaid by
strata sufficiently well characterized to establish its superpo-
sition ; neither do the organic reliquice afford us much informa-
tion, for the species of none of the Testacea have yet been
recognized, in consequence of their almost invariably occur-
ring in the state of casts : as a group, however, this deposit
appears to exhibit a close analogy to those of the calcaire pi-
solitique of the neighbourhood of Paris. Still I obtained
from this locality, a few very perfect specimens of the teeth
and bones of reptiles and sauriaus ; also some palates and
teeth of Squalus and other fishes.
Art. VII r. — Descriptions of a few Longicorns, MS. names of
tvhich are published in the Sale-Catalogue of Mr. Children s In-
sects. By Edward Newman Esq., F.L.S.
Genus. NiR^us, Newman,
Facies fere AromitB : mandibulae latEP, fere triangulares, apioe ciirvato,
subacuto, faciei interiori complanata, marginibus antica et postica den-
tem magnum baud acutum ferentibus; palpi apice cylindraeei, maxipalpi
brevissimi : antennae corporis dimidio vix longiores; articulus lus incras-
satus, obconicus, 2us brevissimus, 3us elongatus, cseteri pedetentim
breviores, oblique truncal!: prothoracis latera medio 1-tuberculata: scu-
tellum parvum, triangulare : elytra apice rotundata : femora vix tumida,
tibiis compressis.
Sp. Nir. tricolor. Antennae nigrae, medio albidae : mandibulae et oculi ni-
gra ; capitis caetera rubra : protborax rufus : elytra basi rufa, macula
scutellari nigra, apice late nigro. (Corp. long. 1'4 unc. lat. '4 unc.)
Inhabits. — Tenasserim coast.
Genus. Mallodon, Serville.
Sp. Mall, spinosum. (Corp. long. 1-5 unc. lat. '6 unc.)
Mandibles short, incurved, the internal margin toothed :
head very coarsely and rugosely punctured, the punctures
' Ten miles southward of Epernay,
OBSERVATIONS ON A FEW LONGICORNS. 195
united : prothorax broader than long, the posterior margin
convex, the lateral margins armed with eight or ten acute
but short spines, within the margin are two elevated lines, of
which the exterior is the shorter, and the space around them
is deeply and rugosely punctured, the disk is glabrous, with
a ie\Y impressed punctures about the centre. Elytra rather
wider than the prothorax, the margins are rather convex and
recurved : near each margin, and parallel with it, is a longi-
tudinal impression on both sides ; at each anal angle is an
acute, distinct, but short spine.
Inhabits. — Brought from Velasco in Mexico.
Genus. Megaderus, Dejean.
Sp. Mega, corallifer. Niger: elytra rufa, apicibus maculaque discoidali
nigris: pedes nigri, tibiis coccineis. (Corp. long. 1*2 unc. lat. -5 unc.)
An injured specimen. Black: the elytra are red, the apex
and a large discoidal spot being black : the tihice are bright
red, resembling coral, the rest of the legs black.
Inhabits. — Mexico.
Genus. PHiEDiNUs.
Sp. Phcsd. mcestus. Ater, nitidus : prothorax utrinque macula postica san-
guinea ornatus. (Corp. long. "9 unc. lat. '3 unc.)
An injured specimen. Black, with the exception of two
lateral posterior red spots on the prothorax, which is thickly
and rugosely punctured, and has three dorsal tubercles.
Inhabits. — Brazil.
Genus. Rachidion, Serville.
Sp. Rack, ohesum. Nigrum : protlioracis dorsum elytrisque, margine ex-
cepto, nigris ; facies tomentosa: corpus subtus nigrum, lanugine micanti
vestitum. (Corp. long. -85 unc. lat. -35 unc.)
Head and antenn(e black ; face thickly tomentose : protho-
rax above deep red, thickly covered with confluent punctures,
the posterior angles deeply excavated, having an acute point
at each posterior angle, beneath black and clothed with a
shining pubescence : scutellum black, very elongate, narrow,
thickly punctured at the sides and longitudinally compressed
in the middle : elytra didl red, with all the margin, more par-
ticularly the humeral portion, black, regularly and deeply
punctured : the under side of the body is black, and nearly
covered with a shining but short pilosity; the legs are black.
196 DESCRIPTIONS OF A FEW LONGICORNS.
Inhabits Brazil, and may possibly be the female of Rachi-
dion fiigritum, there being many decided similarities.
Genus. Ommidion, Newman,
Caput exsertum inclinatum nee pronum neque porrectum : antennae fili-
formes corpore vix longiores; articulus Ins elongatus, 2us brevis, 3us,
4us, et cseteri aequales : oculi minutilineares vel subreniforaies, antennis
distantes : prothorax antice constrictus, lateribus medio tuberculatis, vix
spinosis, dorso planus : elytra apice rotundata, nuUo modo spinosa : fe-
mora pedetentim tumida.
Sp. 0mm. modestum. Testaceum: obscure lanuginosum : prothorax rugo-
sus: scutellum tomentosum: elytra basi puncta. (Corp. long. '7 unc.
lat. '2 unc.)
Inhabits. — Brazil.
Genus. Eburia, Serville.
Sp. Ehur. Virgo. Testacea : prothorax spinis nigris 2 dorsalibus 2 lateri-
bus armatus : elytra maculis 6 eburneis, quariim 1 basali 2 discoidalibus
conjunctis, pone medium sitis, exteriore interiorem superante antice pos-
ticeque : meso- et meta-femorum apicibus nigris. (Corp. long. '85 unc.
lat. -2 unc.)
Pale testaceous, the antennce slightly hirsute and the eyes
black : the prothorax has two black spines situated rather
nearer its anterior margin than the middle of the disk, and
behind each of these spines is a black tubercle, at about an
equal distance from the posterior margin ; on each of its late-
ral margins near the middle is another black spine, and on
each side before this is another small black tubercle : each
elytron has three ivory spots, one somewhat oval touches the
base, and is placed rather obliquely, the lower extremity be-
ing outermost, and bordered with black, the other two being
rather below the middle of the elytron, commencing nearly on
the same level, closely united at the upper extremity, then
separating, and the exterior prolonged much below the inte-
rior, each has a black mark at either extremity, the apical
ones are elongated ; the apical spine is black, and emits a
brown ill-defined line, which bends a little towards the exte-
rior margin of the elytron : the apices of the meso- and meta-
femora, as well as the spines, are black.
Inhabits. — Brazil.
Sp. Ehur. Puella. Rufo-testacea : prothorax lineis 2 nigris longitudina-
libus antice in tubere productis : elytra maculis 6 eburneis, quarum 1
basali ovali, 2 discoidalibus antice fere conniventibus postice paullo di-
vergentibus signata : meso- et meta-femorum genubus spinisque nigris.
(Corp. long. -75 unc. lat. '\7b unc.)
FLUVIO-MARINE DEPOSIT ON THE ESSEX COAST. 197
Art. IX. — JVotice of a Fluvio-marine Deposit containing Mam-
malian Remains, occurring in the Parish of little Clacton, on
the Essex coast. By John Brown, Esq., F.G.S.
Several lacustrine formations have from time to time been
recorded in this Magazine, as occurring in this or the adjoin-
ing counties, but their general character has been that of
purely fresh-water deposits.
The one I now wish to bring under notice, is on the east-
ern coast of Essex, ten miles south of Walton, and has abun-
dance of marine shells, mixed with those of fresh- water.
The beds of shells, alternate with thick deposits of peaty
matter in the cliffs, to the depth of 18 or 20 feet, as shown
in the accompanying section, which was taken on the spot ;
and at the same time, the shells, fossil wood, seeds of Char a,
and Cyprisy were collected, which I now forward you with this
paper. The hollow or basin occupied by this deposit, mea-
sures about 600 yards in a north and south direction ; and at
low water, it can be traced for about 80 yards eastward from
the face of the cliffs ; and it doubtless extends much farther
under the sea, as the fresh-water shells, and bones of the fos-
sil Mammalia, are seen lying in their lacustrine beds, close
up to low-water mark; and we may feel assured, that if this
coast continues to be visited with the same destructive ele-
ments to which it has been exposed for the last forty years,
unless these lacustrine beds are continued for a considerable
distance under the surface of the land to the westward from
the present line of cliffs, there will be nothing to indicate to
future geologists, that a fresh-water lake ever existed here ;
but that this fluvio-marine deposit, which now presents
so many features of interest from the great number and
the character of its organic remains, will, like the beds of
crag once seen at Harwich, be swept away by the sea, before
many centuries have passed over.
Geological writings are the only evidence which will trans-
mit to posterity that the shelly beds of the crag once existed
on the cliffs at Harwich ; and this consideration makes it de-
sirable that as great an amount of facts as can now be col-
lected, should be published in scientific works open to such
observations.
The finding of fossil fresh-water shells in certain places, is
not always indicative of a lake having existed in such spots;
the shells may have been drifted down a river into an estua-
ry, and by that means become mingled with those of the sea.
But in the instance under review, I can adduce not only the
fresh-water and land shells, as well as nuts, seeds, and whole
198 FLUVIO-MAEINE DEPOSIT ON THE COAST OF ESSEX.
trees, but the successive accumulations of peaty matter, and
their various thicknesses, which are seen alternating with
layers of marine and fresh-water shells, mingled together in
the same bed, as shown in the section, (fig. 9).
Moreover, this thick mass of peat affords us sufficient evi-
dence that the marine shells were introduced to the different
beds by various irruptions of the sea into this fresh-water
lake, while the beds of peat were there forming. And it is
worth remarking, at the same time, that there does not ap-
pear to be any admixture of marine fossil shells in the lower
stratum (No. 7.) of the section, in which such a great number
of bones of Mammalia have been found associated with P«/w-
dina, Valvata, Lymnea, Planorbis, Ancylus, Helta:, Vertigo,
Clausula, Unio, Cyclas, Cypris, and seeds of Chara ; the
last being very numerous.
The lowest stratum appears to have been formed under dif-
ferent conditions to those which prevailed when the beds of
mixed shells above it were deposited.
The fluviatile shells of the upper beds were doubtless de-
rived from this lowest stratum, as the fluviatile species of the
upper beds occur in great abundance in the lowest, namely,
No. 1 of the section. But at the same time there are mol-
luscous genera in the lowest stratum, which have not been
met with in the newer beds : for instance, the Unio, which
occurs in great plenty in the lowest bed, has not been found
in the upper beds.
If this is the same species of Unio as that which is found
fossil at Grays, and is figured at page 548, vol. ii. n. s. of
this Magazine, according to the description there given, it
does not appear either to be common as a fossil, or to be
known as a recent British species.
Geologists have termed these fossil mammalian remains, di-
luvial, from the circumstance of their being very frequently
found in gravel; but oftentimes their high state of preserva-
tion is opposed to the idea of their being drifted from any
great distance, in company with the rough and hard mate-
rials of which gravel is generally composed. And from what
I have observed of the bones of the larger Mammalia which
were deposited in the lower bed of this formation, the good
condition of these and of all the fossil bones that have hitherto
been found along this coast, leads me to infer that their histo-
ry is more closely connected with the fresh-water beds, than
with the gravel.
I have had opportunities of observing the relation between
fossil Mammalia, and the lacustrine beds in which they were
found, at other places as well as on this coast, viz. at Stutton,
FLUVIO-MARINE DEPOSIT ON THE COAST OF ESSEX. 199
Section of a Fresh-water Fonnation near Walton, on the Essex Coast. 9
Vegetable soil.
(Loam, with interspersed flints, both
rounded and angular ; white quartz
pebbles, and quartz sandstone in
boulders.
" Fresh-water shells, in red sand.
London clay, at the junction of low-water mark.
Peat.
Marine and fresh -water shells.
I Peat, with subordinate and inten-upt-
ed beds of marine and fresh-water
J shells. Incisive tooth of water-iat,
I figured in p!. 11,2, 'Reliqu. Uiluv.'
Articulina, figured in ' Geol. Trans.'
\.2nd series, vol. v. plate 9.
Marine and fresh-water shells.
'Bones of the larger mammals, general-
ly found between the cliff & low-water
mark, associated with the same species
of fresh- water shells, trunks of trees,
nuts & seeds as we find in the upper
^beds. No marine fossil shells.
in Suffolk, and at Copford, in Essex. In all these places the
bones have been found in the midst of the fresh-water strata,
and cut off from the upper and superincumbent strata of
sand and gravel, by intervening beds of shells, peat, and
sand.
Of the bones of fossil Mammalia, which have been found
at Walton in such quantities, some of them have been de-
tected with fluviatile shells adhering to them, although there
is not that decided lacustrine character in the strata at Wal-
ton which we find in other localities on this line of cliffs.
According to the description given in this Magazine, for
1838, of the fossil Mammalia found in the deposit at Grays,
there is strong evidence for presuming that a closer relation
existed between those remains and the fresh-water beds of
that locality, than between the remains and the sand and
gravel which are superimposed to them. We hear of no fos-
sil bones being found in the latter ; but at the same time, I
will readily admit that this class of fossils has been frequently
found in gravel, without exhibiting any decided marks of a
fresh-water derivation, and it is not always very easy to ac-
count for the anomaly of finding these remains so perfect in
condition, considering that they had been found in beds of
rolled flints and other hard substances, which have, at the
Vol. IV.— No. 40. n. s. 2 a
200 FLUVIO-MARINE DEPOSIT ON THE COAST OF ESSEX.
same time, borne marks of great friction, consequent upon
the action of transport by currents of water to which they
must have been subjected.
The perfect state of the mammoth's jaw, of which we have
such a good representation in p. 348, volume iii. n. s. of
this Magazine, would lead us to infer that it has not been
subject to the violent removal which attends the drifting of
gravel ; but that rather, as the accompanying remarks state,
has been disengaged from its former deposit, by the sea-
wasting of the land, in the same manner as that element is
now laying bare the same kind of fossil bones embedded in
fluviatile strata along our eastern coast.
Elephant. — Amongst many fragments of tus"ks, one specimen 4 feet long,
in good preservation, and another, 7 inches in diameter. Numerous
grinders, several very perfect, and of full size. A large mass of the
lower jaw, including the symphysis.
Vertebrce, 8 inches diameter, perfect.
Large femur, scapula, and corresponding condyle.
Rhinoceros. — Os frontis ; three distinct lower jaws with molar teeth re-
maining.
VertebrcB and detached teeth. A radius.
Deer. — Horns with both round and flat antlers; also branched and
broadly palmated : teeth, vertebra and bones of the legs, and various
other parts of the skeleton.
Bos Urus. — Vertebrcs and other parts of the skeleton.
Horns. See ' Mag. Nat. Hist.,' Vol. i. p. 160.
A horn broken off at the smaller end, to 4 inches diameter; it is still
3 feet long, and measures 20 inches in circumference at the larger end.
This specimen was at least 4 feet 4 inches long when whole, and when
sheathed in its original covering must have measured the enormous
length of five feet on the exterior curve.
Incisor tooth of water-rat, figured in ' Reliquice DiluviancB, pi. 11. fig. 2.
Horse. — Tooth. Vertebrce.
Stanway^ near Colchester,
[With the above communication the author forwarded to us a box, con-
taining specimens of the fossils to which he has referred, along with por-
tions of the matrix in which they occur. From the contents of this box,
and also from a hasty visit subsequently paid to the place itself, we anti-
cipate the most interesting results from this discovery of Mr. Brown's.
Whilst the great mass of the layers No. 5 and 6, is composed of marine
shells, (we state this solely from the contents of the box, and not from our
own examination of the beds themselves, since our visit only occupied
about two minutes), mixed up with these were hundreds of specimens
belonging to land or lacustrine genera. A list of these, with the names
of such species as can be identified, will be supplied on a future occasion.
A short abstract of a paper on the mammaliferous strata of this part of
England, which was read by the Editor in 1836, at the Bristol Meeting
of the British Association, is introduced at p. 42, vol. ii. N. S. of this Jour-
nal. The first bed there noticed, in a table given of these strata, is thus
referred to ; — " Superficial gravel, containing bones of land animals, pro-
bably washed out of stratified deposits.'^ As we know that Mr. Brown has
lately been paying great attention to the gravel and fresh-water beds of
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 201
Essex, it is satisfactory to find his own view upon this important subject,
so strongly supporting the one above quoted. Mr. Brown's collection of
mammalian remains, promises, ere long, to be on a par with that of Miss
Gurney, of Northrepps, Cromer, or that of Mr. Gibson, of Mile End ; and
it should be visited by every naturalist interested in the fossil productions
of this island. We have in preparation some remarks upon the Geological
features of the line of coast extending from Southend to Harwich, in the
course of which we shall bring forward all the facts we can, bearing upon
the relation either actual or hypothetical, which the marine and fresh-water
deposits of this district have to each other. — Ed.]
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE,
CORRESPONDENCE, &c. ^
Admiralty Office, Somerset House,
March 21, 1840.
Sir,
As you have published in a former volume of
your Magazine, a letter addressed to me by my brother, Mr.
George Thompson, of Cape Town, accompanying a meteor-
olite, of the fall of which he was an eye-witness, the follow-
ing further particulars relating to this occurrence, may be
thought by you of sufficient interest to lay before the public.
They are taken from a letter sent by Mr. Maclear, of the
Royal Observatory, Cape Town, to the ' South African Com-
mercial Advertiser,' of December 11, 1839.
I remain, Sir,
Your's &c.,
ROBERT THOMPSON.
Editor 'Mag. Nat. Hist.'
"The first account of the Meteor was brought to Cape Town by the
Hon. Judge Meiizies and Mr. George Thompson, who were travelling
together from the Frontier. I called upon these gentlemen, and ob-
tained afterwards a written statement from them, by which it appears
the Judge's cavalcade was out-spanned on the Blood River on the
morning of the 13th of October; (this River falls into the Gouritz
Riv6r). The spot is sixteen hours, or about 90 miles, at their rate of
travelling, eastward of the Cold Bokkeveld. Mr. Thompson states,
"At about nine o'clock on the morning of the 13th of October, the
meteor appeared, to the best of my judgment, to approach from the
west, with great velocity, and precisely similar to a Congreve rocket
1 Under the head of Scientific Intelligence, Correspondence, &c., we
propose devoting in future numbers, a chapter to Proceedings of Societies,
Extracts; and communications of a miscellaneous nature.
202 SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.
of large dimensions, — the phenomenon expanded nearly over-head,
and apparently not more than 300 or 400 feet high, dispersing in
large globes, the size of 421b. shot, of quicksilvery appearance ; then
fell for a few seconds toward the earth, and vanished." Neither Mr.
Menzies nor Mr. Thompson heard any noise. On reaching the Bok-
keveld, they ascertained that the meteor had fallen there about the
time they witnessed the phenomenon above described.
Extract of a letter from the Rev. Mr. Zahn, of Tulbagh, addressed
to F. Watenneyer, Esq., and dated 6th November, 1838 : —
" The object of these lines is to fulfil my promise of sending to you herewith one of the stones,
which fell simultaneously during the atmospheric tremor in the Cold Bokkeveld, on the 13th of
October. This stone was found between the estates of Jacobus Jooste and Pet. du Toit. Several
have fallen on the place of Rudolph van Heerden, where one fell on the hard road, and was
smashed to pieces. Another on a ploughed field, sunk a few inches into the ground ; and a third,
falling on a moist place near the water, lodged itself to the depth of several feet. Some people
say tliey observed smoke whilst the stones fell; and also, when they were picked up a smell was
observable, between sulphur and gunpowder.
" The stone which you receive lay an hour distance from the place where others were found,
in tlie same direction in which the agitation was perceptible, viz., from N. W. to S. E., more
stones were found. Some people saw in the same direction also, a dark blue streak, which lost
itself in a south-easterly direction.
" 1 have another, somewhat larger stone in the Bokkeveld, which was too heavy for me to
carry on horseback. If the latter can be of service to you, 1 shall not fail to send it. The
present stone was found in two pieces, as it is at present."
This specimen sent by Mr. Zahn, Mr. Watermeyer was so kind as
to place in my hands for Sir John Herschel, and is the same which
was analysed by Mr. Faraday. It was found by P. du Toit, between
his habitation and Jacob Jooste 's. It weighed 27 ounces, troy. The
other was aftei-wards forwarded by me to Sir J. Herschel, by permis-
sion of Mr. Watenneyer. It weighed about 4 lbs. 2 oz., avoirdupois,
and is the same, I believe, that fell in the moist ground, close to R. van
Heerden's house. I suspect its destination will be the British Museum.
When Dr. Truter, the civil commissioner of Worcester visited Cape
Town, in November, 1838, I called upon him. He told me he was
sitting in his office on the before-mentioned morning, when the win-
dows suddenly shook in such a way, that he apprehended the shock of
an earthquake. He examined his barometer, and found the mercury
depressed to the lowest point of its range throughout the year. He
likewise mentioned the leading occurrences related in Mr. Zahn's letter.
Dr. Truter aftei*wards was so kind as to send me a map of the Bokke-
veld, whei^eon the path of the Meteor was laid down, together with the
affidavit of Kieviet, reported in your Journal of the 27th, also several
specimens of the Meteorolite, including the one recognised by Kieviet.
These have been forwarded to the Admiralty, together with two inte-
resting letters from the Doctor ; copies of which, I am sorry to say, I
did not retain.
I'will now proceed to describe the result of my visit to the Bokke-
veld, accompanied by Mr. Watermeyer, Lieut. Jacob, of the Indian
Service, and Mr. Bailey, of the H.E.I.C. Civil Service.
It may be proper to state that the Cold Bokkeveld is an irregular
valley or basin, bounded by high rugged mountains, which is the
character of the basins enclosing the towns of Worcester and Tul-
bagh. Within the valley of the Bokkeveld the ground undulates.
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 203
aiul in some parts is considerably elevated, so as to partially screen
the farm-liouses from each other. The Schurfde Berg forms the west
boundary. About a mile from its base, towards the north, is the
farm-house of Rudolph van Heerden. The house of Barend Jooste
is about 6 miles from the latter in a north-easterly direction. The
house of Jacob Jooste is some miles further east, and the habitation of
Pieter du Toit seems to be about 15 miles S. E. of van Heerden's, so
that Jooste 's is north of a right line joining the latter. It is unneces-
sary to give separately the minute details of the examination of these
people with reference to the general character of the phenomenon, for
they all agi'ee in their description of it. Their attention was first ex-
cited by a violent explosion, followed by a rumbling noise, like that
from heavy waggons passing over stony ground. On looking up they
saw a blue stream of smoke, as if from fired gunpowder, passing over
from S. W. to N. E., viz., from the Schurfde Berg range, at a point
a little north of Van Heerden's, towards Pieter du Toit's At the in-
stant, the son of Van Heerden was standing between his house and the
Schurfde Berg, where he saw something fall, which he picked up.
The sky was cloudless, and no wind. His mother ran out of the
House, and observed another plunge into the swamp N. E. of the house,
where it sunk to some depth, from whence it was afterwards removed.
These positions are separated by about a mile, and were shown to us
by Mrs. Van Heerden. 2dly. Barend Jooste, with two servants, was
near the mountain south of his house at the moment of explosion. He
saw something descend to the ground, and where it struck, the grass
smoked. The meridian of this spot was shown to us by B. Jooste in
person, and the specimen is that sworn to by Kieviet in his affidavit.
3dly. A servant of Pieter du Toit's was standing near his master's
house. He saw something fall to the ground about a mile below the
garden, in the brushwood, which he ran towards and brought to his
master. The spot was shown to us by the servant. I did not enquire
to whom the specimen was given. Each of these persons assert, that
on approaching the meteorolites, they were so hot that they could not
be taken up in the hand ; also, that the sky was cloudless and calm.
I have thus enumerated all that was seen falling at the moment of
explosion. But the curiosity of the people being excited, further
search was made. A mass was discovered on the road, N. E. of Van
Heerden's house, in fragments, broken apparently by striking the hard
ground. Barend Jooste found a lump which separated into fragments
on taking it up, owing, he thinks, to moisture before it was found.
He had parted with some of it; the remainder, weighing four pounds
less by half an ounce, he gave to us. Pieter du Toit found a quantity
in fragments on the road near his house ; and farther on towards Jacob
Jooste 's another, (the specimen first sent to Sir J. Herschel), and his
son found a third in the brushwood, N. E. of the house. The points
at Du Toit's, where these several specimens were discovered, are about
a mile from each other. If a zone of one mile in breadth and 16
miles long, is conceived to extend from the Schurfde Berg, near Van
Heerden's, to Pieter du Toit's, I believe all the points where the mete-
orolites fell will be found to lie within it. A small portion of this
204 SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.
ground is cultivated — the remainder is covered with brushwood like
that over waste land.
It appears that six persons only chanced to be in this tract at the
time — two of them within a mile of each other — three close together,
but about six miles from the latter — and one at Du Toit's, eight miles
farther on. Beyond Du Toit's the line of direction is over rugged
mountains for a considerable distance, and, 1 believe, uninhabited. —
Hence I conceive I am warranted in supposing that but a small
proportion of the original mass has been found; but enough for the
purpose of analysis and future comparison ; altogether about 20 lbs.
avoirdupois, according to the following list :
lb. oz.
No. 1. Sent to Sir John Herschel 1 13^
No. 2. Ditto, ditto, 4 2
No. 3. To Capt. Beaufort of the Admiralty 3 14^
No. 4. In fragments, found by Barend Jooste, most of it in my pos-
session 3 15 J
No. 5. Given to me by Doctor Versveld, of Stellenbosch, the property of
this Observatory „ 15J
14 13
Estimated amount of the portions in the hands of private gentle-
men, most of vvhich I have seen 6 0
Total 20 13
Nos. 1 , 2, and 3, are covered with the ftised crust all round, indicating that they separated
from the original mass in a state of fusion. No. 3 is nearly so, but is cracked near the centre,
and a small portion appears to have been separated from it.
The following analysis of No. 1, by Faraday, was sent to me by Sir J. Herschel : —
Water 650
Sulphur 4-24
Silex ' 28-90
Protox. of Iron 33-22
Magnesia 19-20
Alumina 5*22
Lime , 1-64
Ox. of Nickel 0-82
of Chrom 0-70
of Cobalt trace
Soda trace
100-44
The violence of the explosion of this meteor may be surmised from
the fact, that it was heard at the distance of 50 miles from the Bokke-
veld. At Worcester two reports were heard in succession, but 1 ap-
prehend the second was the echo of the first, since no person in the
Bokkeveld heard two explosions, and the lay of the mountains was
likely to produce several echoes. The optical deception of the ball
appearing to separate nearly over-head where Mr. Meiizies and Mr.
Thompson stood, is a proof that it was much elevated at the instant.
I have only to add, that as the material specimens of meteors do
not possess any intrinsic value, beyond the extension of natural know-
ledge, they should be forwarded to natural depositories or scientific in-
stitutions, and not retained as mere objects of curiosity, or in the less
informed circles of delusion. I saw last week a fine specimen in the
hands of a farmer in the country, which was picked up by a Hotten-
tot (belonging to his grandfather) near the Great River, who saw it
fall. It must have been in their possession about 60 years. This
man had refused 50 dollars for it, as a captain of a ship said it would
secure the possessor against the effects of a thunder-storm !"
yCn/yy7'?7/-/:My'?yy. w //r/yfy^^^/K-. W?y.
JI>.C.Sower'bv te
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 205
Mr. Editor,
I HAVE been so frequently applied to by
geologists, as to the best mode of procuring the fossils of the London
clay from the Isle of Sheppey, that I am induced to send you a few
hints as to the mode of collecting in that locality. Although one
of the most accessible, it is probably the least known of any of the
rich geological fields that are within a short distance of the metropolis.
As a trip to this interesting spot can be accomplished by an absence
from London of only three days, and yet the collector be amply laden
with fossils on his return, I will endeavour to put your readers in posses-
sion of the best mode of conducting such an excursion. The best con-
veyance is by the Southend and Sheemess steam-packets, which leave
London Bridge on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at 11 o'clock
in the morning, and reach Sheemess about 4 or 5 o'clock in the after-
noon. The town is divided into two parts, — the one contained within
the limits of the garrison being designated the Blue-town, while that
beyond the fortifications to the north-east is designated the Mile-town ;
— and it is to this portion that I should recommend the visitor to pro-
ceed, and to take up his quarters either at the Royal Hotel, or at the
Wellington : the latter is an exceedingly snug and comfortable house,
and is the one which I have resorted to for many years. After having
established yourself in your inn, request the Boots to desire the atten-
dance of Mr. Hays, (better known perhaps by the name of Paddy
Hays), from whom you may purchase, at a very reasonable rate, some
good fossils, such as crabs, lobsters, heads and portions of fishes, and
numerous species of fossil fruits. Our traveller will then have accom-
plished all that can be done towards the acquisition of fossils until the
following morning ; there not being, I believe, any other collector in
the town from whom purchases can be made.
On the following morning I should recommend an early breakfast,
as a considerable extent of ground is to be traversed. It is advisable
to go provided with five or six sheets of soft paper, to wrap fragile
specimens in, and a few cotton or linen bags, of about four or five
inches in diameter, to separate the large from the small fossils ; the
whole to be carried in a good sized blue bag or haversack, no chisel
or hammer being necessary on this occasion. If our geologist has a
desire to view the great section of the London clay, afibrded by the
cliifs of the north shore of Sheppey, and is content with comparatively
the few fossils which he may be able to procure by his own exertions,
he may proceed in the following manner. — Leaving Sheemess by the
new town, he will pass along the sea wall, towards Minster, until he
reaches Scaps-gate, where the cliffs begin to rise from the low lands of
the western end of Sheppey. A few cottages are scattered round this
point, some of the inhabitants of which work upon the beach, either
collecting cement stone or pyrites, the latter being better known by
the name of copperas. To these, application should be made to know
if they have any '' curiosities," and very frequently excellent specimens,
and at a small price, will be thus procured. From this point the route
will then be beneath the cliffs upon the shingle, amidst which, dark
patches, ten or fifteen yards in length, will be observed, composed of
206 SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.
nodules of pyrites, intermixed with pjTitized fragments of branches
of trees, in great abundance. It is at such spots that the numerous
and beautiful specimens of fossil fruits are found ; but, to ensure suc-
cess, the collector must be content to go upon his knees, and carefully
search among the fragments. The whole of the beach, from about
the parallel of Minster church to Warden Point, abounds with these
patches of pyrites, and I have by this means obtained in the course of
a morning upwards of one hundred fine fruits of various sizes. Cai'e
must be taken in such an investigation of the coast that it be underta-
ken during the falling of the tide, or unpleasant consequences may
arise from being shut in between the shoots of mud which are pro-
jected into the sea at many points of the coast.
If the principal object be the attainment of the greatest quantity of
fossil organic remains, a different course should be pursued. The
collector should then, after having made his purchases at Scaps-gate,
direct his steps towards Minster church, passing which, he will proceed
on the road towards Warden. About three quarters of a mile beyond
the church, he will find a lane on his left hand, leading towards the
Royal Oak, in which lives a woman named Mummery, and several
others, who work upon the beach, and from whom fossils are frequently
to be procured. These people will direct the traveller to the cottage of
a family named Crockford, where there is usually a gopd assortment of
fossils, and will direct our fossil-hunter to many other parties who also
work upon the beach, and who reside between this point and Hens-
brook, to which our traveller must now direct his steps. At Hens-
brook enquiry should be made for a man named Pead, who has usually
a considerable number of good specimens in his possession. From
this point, Hensbrook, the collector must proceed along the top of the
cliff" towards Warden, calling at the various cottages in his way, until
he arrives at Warden Point, at which place he must enquire for Mud
Row, many of the inhabitants of which work upon the beach, and
from whom a considerable addition to the specimens already collected
may be purchased. Beyond this pohit nothing will be obtained, and
the best way to return to Sheerness is by the road which runs through
the most level portion of the country ; the path along the north clifif
undulates very considerably more than the road.
The course of proceeding thus sketched applies to the supposition
that the time is limited to three days, but if a greater extent of time
can be spared, I should recommend the tourist not to leave Sheerness
without viewing the dock -yard ; and the return to London may be
made by the way of Chatham and Gravesend, affording the gratification
of a view of the dock-yard and lines at Chatham, and of the fine old
cathedral and castle at Rochester ; and, at the same time, enabling him
to arrive in London on the evening of the same day that he quits
Sheerness.
I remain, Mr. Editor,
Yours, &c. &c.
J. S. BOWERBANK.
19, Critchell's Place, Hoxton,
March 24th, 1840.
THE MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
MAY, 1840.
AiiT. f. — View of the Fauna of Brazil, antei'ior to the last Geologi-
cal Revolution. By Dr. Lund.
( Continued from page 161 J
In the order Edentata, there is a family which may be said
to form a connecting link between the burrowing and the
climbing mammals, and to which the Megalonyx has some
points of resemblance : I mean the ant-bears. Let us see
how far an examination of the construction of the hand, in
connection with their known habits, is calculated to throw
light on the subject before us.
In the ant-bears [Myrmecophaga], the claws are curved and
laterally compressed, as in the sloths, and in both we find
these organs exhibiting the same kind of articulation ; but in
the two larger species they are much shorter, though still of
considerable strength. The hand is not very broad ; while the
number of claws is only four in the larger species, and is
even reduced to two in the smallest. It is clear that such a
construction is not well adapted for burrowing : and accord-
ingly I have satisfied myself that these animals never do
burrow at all. They use their claws to tear open the strongly-
built nest-hills of the Termites (white ants) ; but they are
not able to dig burrows under ground. In the two-fingered
ant-bear [M. didactyla) the provisions are exactly the same as
in the sloth ; accordingly, also, it lives only in trees, where it
subsists on the Termites that build there. Thus, if we com-
pare the Megalonyx with that family of animals to which it
indubitably bears the most resemblance, next to the sloth,
the comparison is equally unfavourable to the idea of its
Vol. IV.— No. 41. n. s. 2 b
208 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
having been a burrower. The next point to be considered
is the construction of the arm, which is invariably short
among buiTowing animals, as, indeed, theory would have led
us to expect. Now", in both the Megalonyx and Megathe-
rium the fore-limbs are long, even longer than the hind ones,
which is only the case with some apes, and the sloths ; these
two being, above all other mammals, the best climbers.
Next, in the conformation of the hind feet, we find strong
marks of distinction between burrowers and climbers ; for
instance, in moles the hind feet are remarkably weak in com-
parison with the fore-feet, and there is nothing extraordinary
in their structure. So also in those powerful burrowers. Da-
sypus gigas, and Das. gymnurus, we observe in these parts
the same conditions obtaining ; in none of that family is
there anything uncommon as to their construction.
Now, it is easy to see that the hind feet could be but of
very little use to animals intended to burrow : but very dif-
ferent is the case with those intended for climbing. Not only
must the hinder extremities afford firm support to the body,
while the creature is climbing up, but often must they be
entrusted with its entire weight ; for instance, when it is
seeking for points of attachment for its fore-claws. Exactly,
therefore, as in the burrowers the main strength is placed in
the fore, so in climbing animals is it in the hinder extremities.
For this reason, we often see the hand in apes without an
opposable thumb, or with only a rudimentary thumb, or with
none at all ; while the thumb is always completely developed,
and perfectly opposed, in the hind feet. So, also, in other
families of climbers, w^e find the thumb constant on the hind,
while it is often absent from the fore feet ; and for the same
reason, the sloth is furnished with the same powerful claws
on the hind feet that we have already seen it to possess on the
fore feet. But both Megalonyx and Megatherium far exceed
all these animals in the extraordinarily powerful development
of their hind feet. The middle toe is disproportionately
strong, and is provided with so immense a claw, that w^e can
show nothing else like it in the whole animal kingdom; which
proves that these creatures must have used their hind feet for
some especial purpose. Their hind foot being furnished
with a single claw, shows that it was not intended for digging :
and the only analogy we can discover to it, is the single
strong claw that bats have on their anterior extremities, which
serves them to hang by. But much the most important cha-
racter in the foot of the Megalonyx is its oblique position
with relation to the leg, in consequence of which its sole
turns inwards instead of downwards. We have already seen
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 209
that this peculiar conformation in the existing creation is
found in the sloth, and I have pointed out the effect produced
on that animaFs habits, by this organization. An approxi-
mation to this conformation is also observed in apes, which,
when they walk, place the foot somewhat obliquely on the
outer edge, and it is well known that this peculiarity incom-
modes them in terrestrial progression, as much as it fits them
for climbing. But what in the apes is only, as it were, par-
tially indicated, is fully developed in the sloth ; which ani-
mal, in consequence of this organization, has been shown to
be confined throughout its existence to an arboreal life.
Thus in every one of the points of comparison we have in-
stituted between burrowers and climbers, we have seen that
Megalonyx constantly differs from the former, and resembles
the latter : but the point to which I last alluded, I consider
to be quite decisive. There is one other character in its or-
ganization, which is not quite without weight in reference to
our present enquiry, I mean its unusually powerful tail. Now,
it is certainly true, that many animals which are not climbers
have a powerful tail, as for instance, armadilloes, &c., while
others that climb well have none, as sloths, and some apes ;
but when we find a remarkably powerful tail attached to an
animal, that, according to all probability, was a climber, we
are led to infer that this organ must have served for that pur-
pose, in other words, that Megalonyx was furnished with a
prehensile tail.
How far the Megatherium is to be considered in the same
light as Megalonyx, cannot be decided without an accurate
and scientific examination of the skeleton at Madrid. Pan-
der and Dal ton do not mention any distortion of the hind
foot, neither does their figure exhibit any. It is, nevertheless,
quite possible that such may exist, but that it is disguised
by the faulty manner in which the skeleton is put up. It
strikes me as very unlikely, that two animals which agree
so closely in all other striking particulars of their organiza-
tion, should differ so much in one of the most important.
The Megatherium has been proved by later discoveries to
possess the same powerful tail as the Megalonyx ; and as it
besides corresponds with the latter entirely in the conforma-
tion of its extremities, the same difficulties present them-
selves against the supposition of its having been a burrower.
But if the Megatherium was really a climber, it must have
had still more occasion (on account of its greater size), for
that peculiar arrangement of the hind feet, which we have
described in the Megalonyx. I am aware that most people,
from the immense bulk and clumsy make of these animals,
210 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
will object to the view I have ventured to give of their habits.
I confess the weight of this objection, which no one can feel
more than I do. Indeed, it had the effect of long preventing
me from coming to what appeared so improbable a conclusion,
and impelled me to a detailed and wearisome examination of
all the relations and circumstances that could bear upon the
subject, to discover, if possible, some other solution of the
phenomena which the osteology of the Megalonyx presents.
This is not the place to detail all my investigations ; but at
least T may say this, that the more points of view in which I
considered the subject, the more irresistibly was I led to the
conclusion I have ventured to express ; although no one con-
fesses more readily than I do, how much, at the first glance,
it appears to be at variance with nature.
In truth, what ideas must we form of a scale of creation,
where, instead of our squirrels, creatures of the size and bulk
of the Rhinoceros and Hippopotamus climbed up trees 1 It
is very certain that the forests in which these huge monsters
gambolled, could not be such as now clothe the Brazilian
mountains j but it will be remembered, that in the former
communication which I had the honour of submitting to the
Society, I endeavoured to show, that the trees we now see in
this region are but the dwarfish descendants of those loftier
and nobler forests which originally covered these Highlands ;
and we may surely be permitted to suppose that the vege-
tation of that primaeval age was on a no less gigantic scale
than the animal creation.
In the present order of existing nature, all the mammals
that are appointed to live in trees belong to the smaller
kinds ; which seems so essential a condition, that in the fami-
lies and genera containing climbers, the development of
this faculty diminishes in a ratio corresponding to the increase
in size of the species. Thus, in the genus Fells, the smaller
species live for the most part in trees ; those of an interme-
diate size, hunt their prey on the ground, but climb with
more or less activity ; while the largest species of all are en-
tirely deprived of that power. Again, in the family of apes,
the existence of the smaller kinds is indissolubly linked with
arboreal habits ; while the larger frequently descend, and
pass a considerable portion of their lives on the ground. So,
also, in the ant-bears, the smallest species of all lives entirely
in trees ; those of middle size feed principally on the ground,
but also ascend trees ; while the very largest have the ground
assigned them for their perpetual abode. It therefore very
reasonably excites our astonishment, to find that in a former
period of creation, such enormous monsters should have had
trees allotted them for their habitat.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 211
But, on the other hand, we must not forget that this same
rule which, in the existing races, is observ^ed with respect to
those that climb, holds equally good with reference to those
that burrow ; which latter faculty is also restricted to the
smaller species. Thus, in the genus Canis, foxes and jackals
burrow, but not wolves : in the genus Lepus, rabbits bun'ow,
but not hares : among the rodents (excluding hares and
climbers), all species dig, except the largest of all, the Capi-
llar. Must it not, therefore, equally excite our astonishment,
to find among the relics of that extinct creation, species of
burrowing animals that do not seem to have yielded in size
or bulk to the huge climbers of that same period, such as
Chlamydotherium Humholdtii, and giganteum, Hoplophorus
Euphractus, «&:c. ? And should we have brought the pheno-
mena of the economy of that former world more into harmony
with the present^ by assigning to those gigantic sloths the fa-
culty of hicrrowing^ instead of climbing ? If we examine this
creature's habits, we shall find that they, like everything
else, speak equally in favour of the latter conclusion. We
are acquainted with no single existing animal which feeds on
nothing but grass and leaves, that digs or burrows. And for
what purpose should these monsters have burrowed ? To pro-
tect themselves from their enemies ? Without alluding to the
length of time so bulky and helpless a creature must have
required to excavate a hole sufficient for its huge carcass, of
what use, I will ask, could such a den be for a refuge to an
animal, whose food would, of necessity, often call it far away ;
and which, in case of danger, was so unsuited to get safely
back to it, from its conformation being so ill-adapted for run-
ning, nay, as we have seen, even for walking or standing !
Should it be contended that Megalonyx had sufficient
means of defence in its formidable claws ; I ask, for what
purpose then did it burrow ? Certainly not to obtain food,
forasmuch as all animals that seek their food underground
(which can only consist of insects, frogs, and roots) are ne-
cessarily small, and provided with hands, without which con-
ditions, the impossibility of their existence in this manner is
abundantly evident. Now, what was it that formed the food
of these animals ? The fceces of one of these monsters
which T have had the opportunity of examining, presented
very finely-comminuted remains of plants. May we not
then conclude, that they grazed like cattle and some Pachy-
dermata f I answer, we find no incisors in the fore-part of
the mouth, wherewith they could bite grass. Hence we are
forced to conclude that they fed on leaves of trees, like their
existing representatives, which they exactly resemble in their
212 VIEW OF THE EXTINCT FAUNA OF BRAZIL.
dental system ; so that, as the main result of this enquiry, I
think I may lay down this proposition ; that, from whatever
point we consider this gigantic animal's habits, we are com-
pelled to conclude that they agreed in all respects most per-
fectly with those of the living type of the family, the sloth.
In conclusion, I will only remark, that unless we attribute
to the Megalonyx the power of climbing, it will be difficult
to understand how it could possibly have preserved its exist-
ence in a country that swarmed so with beasts of prey, as
we shall, in the sequel, see was the case in Brazil in ancient
geological periods. Let it not be imagined that their enor-
mous bulk, or formidable claws, were sufficient for their pro-
tection. I have satisfied myself by numerous personal obser-
vations, how very easily the sloths of our day fall a prey to
predatory animals that are greatly inferior to them in size
and strength ; and I have frequently had the most astonishing
proofs of the fearlessness and powers of the predatory beasts
that now exist there. It would be out of place here to de-
scribe the scenes of battle and slaughter that have passed in
my own house, and under my own eyes, partly with the view
of throwing light upon this very subject. But this at least
I can affiim, from what I have myself seen, that if the Mega-
therium and Megalonyx, with their helpless powers of mo-
tion, had been confined to living on the ground, they w^ould
soon have been exterminated ; and we never should have
found their remains associated with those of the huge ante-
diluvian tiger, deposited in their resting-place during those
latter days that preceded the mighty catastrophe, which
closed the curtain between that former, and our present
world.
There are three species of this genus (all different from the
N. American species, Megal. Jeffersonii) whose remains are
found in the diluvian soil of this district. The most common
of them, M. Cuvieri, is about the size of an ox ; but in con-
sequence of the massive build that distinguishes all this race,
most of its bones, when compared with those of the ox, ap-
pear to be two or three times larger in circumference and
bulk.
The two other species are much less abundant. One of
them, Megal. Bucklandi, is the size of the tapir ; while the
other, Meg. minutus, can scarcely compete with the hog in
that respect. Whether the animals of this and the preceding
genus had any defensive armour, is a question that I have
not hitherto been able completely to solve. Associated with
one individual of Coelodon Maqtiinetise I found a mass of
granular concretions, which 1 cannot describe otherwise
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 213
than as calcareous divisions in the skin : but among the
very abundant remains of Megalonyx Cuvieri, I have never
found any trace of armour, with the exception of a portion
of an extraordinarily thick plate, whose surface presented
w^hat appeared ornaments in relief, so as to give it the look
of a fragment of some architectural decoration ; but its frac-
ture sufficiently proved its organic origin.
Should this creature have really been furnished with a coat
of mail, it cannot be denied that this must have as much in-
capacitated it for climbing up trees, as all the other condi-
tions we have examined indisputably disqualified it for ter-
restrial motions.
The family of sloths is at present confined to South Ame-
rica ; therefore, in the fact of their existence in the same
quarter during a former age of the world, we have another
corroboration of the result to which the history of the two
previous families led us, as to the correspondence of funda-
mental types between the extinct and existing animals in
that portion of the globe. In like manner, also, we find the
other results obtained from the same former examination re-
curring here, namely the much greater abundance of generic
and specific forms belonging to the ancient animal creation,
and the vastly superior size which its species attained. This
disproportion is even still greater if we only confine our com-
parison to the very district in which the fossil remains are
found ; for there are now none of the family I last described
within its limits : although I would not venture to assert,
that they also did not exist here previously to the disappear-
ance of the forests that originally clothed this country.
(To be continued.)
Art. II. — Remarks on the Lepidoptera of JVorfh America, with
occasional descriptions of Kew Species ; being the result of nine-
teen months travel in the United States. By Edward Double-
day, Esq.
" Por aquesta razon de ti escuchado,
Aunque me falten otras, ser merezco,
Lo que puede te doy, y lo que he dado
Con recebillo tu, yo me enriquezco.
Garcilasso de la Vega, Ecloga 3.
I SHALL preface the observations I am about to make on
the Lepidoptera of the United States, by a few remarks on the
•214 REMARKS ON THE
causes which led me, during my journey in those countries,
to direct my attention to this order in preference to any other;
and also by some short notices of the places at which I
chiefly collected ; these being intended to afford to my readers
(should I be fortunate enough to get any), the means of draw-
ing more profit from what will follow, especially in regard to
the influence of climate and locality, as well upon individuals
of any given species as upon the geographical distribution of
genera and species.
The first place which I chose for a hunting ground, was
the vicinity of the beautiful falls of the West Canada Creek,
known as Trenton Falls. 1 had not long collected in this
spot, when a fact which surprised me forced itself on my
attention. This was the paucity of insects in general. There
was, it is true, a great number of species to be met with, but
they wanted a deal of looking for, and were almost invariably
few in individuals. It is true, that as summer advanced,
some one or two species oi Coleoptera cqxhq forth in countless
thousands, especially Philochloinia elongata, Dej., which,
in the early part of June, stripped the young beeches of their
leaves. Cicindela sex-guttata, F., and vulgaris, Say, Ortho-
soma cylindricum, and some few other Coleoptera, were also
tolerably common. But in general, insects, though pretty
numerous as to species, were few as to individuals of any
species, but this was not so entirely the case in some orders
as others.
The great exception was the order on which I am about
to make my remarks, to wit, the Lepidoptera, As soon as
the young leaves had fairly burst forth, a host of beautiful
Geometridcd began to appear in the woods, and were speedily
followed by a second host, composed of NoctuidcB and Bom-
hyces. The situation of the inn in which I had fixed my
abode, was peculiarly favourable for attracting Lepidoptera
by illuminating the windows ; and by following up this plan
regularly, I found myself every week adding immensely to
my stock of moths. Mr. Moore, the worthy host and owner
of the inn, a man of sound sense, good heart and great in-
formation, and of an intellectual turn of mind,' soon became
as earnest as myself in the work of collecting. To him and
his excellent wife, a pattern of what a wife and mother ought
to be, I am indebted for many species I did not take myself,
as I shall hereafter mention.
There was enough to make me prefer the Lepidoptera
above all other insects. I knew that not one fourth of the
' Vide Fanny Kcmble.
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 916
Lepidoptera of the United States had been described ; that
our English collections were very sparingly furnished with
them, especially with the nocturnal ones, and I found them
far more numerous and easy of capture than any of the other
orders. The bias thus given, continued throughout my jour-
ney of more than 8,000 miles, though I by no means allowed
it to cause me to neglect other orders.
The first place, as I have said, which I chose for a hunting
ground, was the vicinity of Trenton Falls. It is not my in-
tention to tell of the waterfalls, nor the deep ravine, whose
rocky sides are overhung with gigantic trees, or adorned with
flowers innumerable, nor to describe the beautiful banks of
the West Canada Creek, as it flows onward to join the Mo-
hawk, nor of the wood- clothed hills, from whose summit the
traveller may survey a country as fair as God has ever created
for man to dwell in ; nor may I here tell of the kindness that I,
a solitary wanderer, far from my home, met with in this place,
nor of the delightful society to be found during the summer
amongst the visitors to the Falls. I could let my pen run
wild on these subjects, but I will confine myself to what more
properly belongs to natural history, and that part thereof on
which I am now treating, and merely state what was the soil,
what the vegetation, what the local peculiarities, of the spot
in which I first collected in America.
The town ' of Trenton (formerly Olden Barnevelt), is situ-
ated about fourteen miles north of Utica, in latitude 43° 20'
N., longitude 75° 10' W., or thereabouts- The town itself
is of considerable extent, containing about 16,000 acres un-
der cultivation, and a population of between 3,000 and 4,000.
A large portion of the land is still wooded, and the gradual
improvement of this gives employ to a good many sawmills;
fourteen, I believe, are in being within the town, though some
have evidently declined working for some time. The com-
mon mode of clearing is, first to cut down the larger trees,
and then stub up the brushwood, leaving the stumps of the
trees to decay out of the ground. If the bushes are not cut
up, as they often are not, until the year following the cutting
down of the trees, the ground becomes covered with brambles,
raspberries, &c., with a variety of flowers, though these are
not so numerous in such places as might be expected.
Mr. Moore's house is situated on the verge of the town,
close to the West Canada Creek, about two miles from the
village of Trenton. Its elevation above the sea is full 1 ,200
' The word town, in New York, means nearly the same as parish in
England.
Vol. TV.— No. 41. n. s. 2 c
216 REMARKS ON THE
feet, and the average annual temperature 47 J°. In the se-
vere winter of 1836, the thermometer descended more than
30° below zero ; the highest I ever observed it in the sum-
mer, was but little above 80°. This, however, gives a won-
derful range, compared with England, though by no means
uncommon in the northern parts of the United States. ^ No
doubt this intense severity of the winters affects much the
Entomology of this part of America.
At the back of the house was an extensive range of woods
skirting the banks of the Creek on the western side, up to
the village of Prospect, situated close to where the Creek
enters the ra^dne. In front the country is more open, but
beautifully diversified by large patches of wood, for every
farm has its wood. Here and there are patches of boggy
soil, in which grow^ thousands of Cypripedium spectabile,
and a variety of ferns, of which the most interesting, perhaps,
are Onoclea sensihilis, and Struthiopteris Pennsylvanica.
In general, the soil is a rather shallow stratum of black
vegetable mould, on a limestone bottom. This is very fertile,
the Indian corn often producing from sixty to eighty bushels
per acre, where the soil is not a foot deep. In some places
there is a great deal of sand, generally forming small hills.
I am no geologist, so wdll not venture to say any very great
deal about the limestone ; however, I know this, that it con-
tains a vast quantity of Encrinites, Orthoceratites, Trilohites,
and other ites, of which I know nothing. Moore has a vast
many beautiful specimens of fossils, amongst which the most
interesting to me were the very perfect individuals oilsoteles
gigaS) and some fragments of the same, showing that it must
have sometimes much exceeded afoot in length. From this
account of the contents of this limestone, I leave others to
judge whether it be transition, or any other ition limestone.^
The woods here ai'e distinguished by the want of all the
oaks, and all the Conifer (B, except the white cedar [Thuja
occidentalis), the hemlock fir {Pinus Canadensis), and the
yew, or, as it is commonly there called the running hemlock
( Taxus Canadensis.) I do, it is true, remember, that just
by the bridge where the road from Little Falls crosses the
creek, there was a solitary oak, and a solitary pine, but they
1 In that most valuable publication, the 'American Almanack, is a table
for Dover, N. H., in latitude 43" 13', which shows a mean annual range of
1 13", and one year the range amounted to 127^".
2 Let not my readers think that I am disposed to undervalue the science
of Geology. I regret much my want of knowledge of it, but mn omnes
p ossumus omnia.
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. " 217
evidently did not much like the neighbourhood they had got
into.
Having said this in regard to the woods, I need not, were
my readers Americans, say any more about them, but as I
suppose that amongst my readers may be some one almost as
ignorant on this sylvan subject as our legislators are on all
that relates to the geography, the laws, and resources of the
United States, I shall have to tell what trees are there. There
are plenty of hemlocks, spreading their long dark branches ;
there are beeches, with leaves of the lightest green ; there are
birches too, and maples of various species, and here and
there the shad tree [Amelanchier hotryapium) and the bird
cherry {Cerasus Virginianus) displayed their snow-white
blossoms, and the ravine is bordered by large clusters of giant
cedars, often of the most grotesque forms. The elms here
attain an enormous size, though I have rarely seen them so
beautiful in form as in the more Eastern States. I measured
one fallen elm here which was ninety feet before it branched.
The sycamore, or button wood, of the Americans [Platanus
occidentalis) also occurs here, and the basswood [Tilia
Ainericana), is abundant. The undergrowth consists of two
or three species of Viburnum, Acer, Lonicera, Ruhus, Sam-
hucus ruhens, and young growth of the various hard-wooded
trees. On the skirts of the woods, and by the road-sides, the
red and purple-berried sumachs {Rhus glabra and Rhtis
typhina) abounded, and the beautiful flowering raspbeny
{Rubus odoratus) hangs from the sides of the rocks, as if try-
ing to bathe its rosy blossoms, or delicious fruit in the amber
waves, or forms large thickets on the sunny sides of the
wood.
The spring, the short spring of New York, calls up a host
of flowers here. First, the little blue Hepatica peeps from
the clefts of the rocks,' and is soon followed by the fragrant
Dielytra cucullaria, and the spring beauty [Claytonia Vir-
ginica.) Then follow Violce, blue, yellow, and white ; Trillia,
Uvulari(B, Convallarim of various species ; Aquilegia Cana-
densis, the gold thread {Coptis trifolia), three species of ^c-
t(Ba, Tiarella cordifolia, Clintonia borealis, Streptopus roseus,
and a variety of other flowers too numerous to mention.
The march of summer is announced by the flowering of
the Compositdd, which continue until late in autumn. In
summer, too, various species of Asclepias, Lobelia, Desmo-
* I have often seen this flower bhie, pale blue, and white, in America,
never pink. It is said to be found with pink flowers in the mountains of
Carolina.
218 LEPlbOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA.
dium, &c., are to be found in flower, and then the ravine is in
its beauty. I could here run riot in telling of its summer glo-
ries; of the rocks clothed with flowers and ferns; of the dark
branches of the cedars and hemlocks ; of the blue birds, the
baltimores, the scarlet tanagers, that make it their abode ; but
I must not do so. I only just hint to my readers that such
things are, and that there are in that ravine beauties, which
they
" Caged in the space of Europe's pigmy span
Can scarcely dream of; — which their eyes must see,
To know how beautiful this world can 6e."
So much for the spot where some of the happiest hours of
my life were spent, and where I first learned " to honour the
Americans as a nation, and to love many of them as personal
friends," feelings which grew upon me more and more the
longer I stayed amongst them.
llie period I spent in this place was from the middle of
May to the middle of August, except that I took a short ex-
cursion, of about three weeks, to Niagara, the borders of Penn-
sylvania, and the central part of New York, during which
journey, of about 600 miles, I travelled over some interesting
country, never before visited, I believe, by an English travel-
ler. That my time was not idled away during the many
weeks I spent in that spot, I hope soon to show, by the fre-
quent mention I shall make of it when I come to the moths.
In August I left the house I had so long made my home,
and proceeded west. On this journey I did not stay long in
any one place, in fact, a few days hunting near Cincinnati,
sometimes in company with that excellent botanist and right
good-hearted man, Thomas G. Lea, was all I did until I
reached Albion, in Edward's County, Illinois. At that place
Mr. Foster (w^ho had rejoined me at Cincinnati), and myself
spent several days. It was at the house of a near relation
of more than one English entomologist, that we were most
kindly entertained. The situation was truly beautiful, and
the fine October weather added to the pleasure derived from
seeing Nature where man had molested her so little. The
house stood on the edge of a small prairie, now one waving
mass of asters, of all shades of blue and white, and sometimes
purple, Solidagines, Rudheckidd, and an infinity of composite
flowers. This prairie, probably, is not above four miles long,
and is skirted by the most noble timber, with here and there
scattered clumps of trees. What nobleman in England has
a park to be compared to it !
" These are the gardens of the desert, these
The unshorn fields, boundless and beautiful,
AFFINITIES AND ANALOGIES OF ORGANIZED BEINGS. 219
For which the speech of England has no name.
Man hath no part in all this glorious work,
The hand that built the tirmament hath heaved
And smoothed these verdant swells, and sown their slopes
With herbage, planted them with island groves
And hedged them round with forests."
No one who has not seen them, can have an idea of the
prairies, and I am quite sure I can find no means of giving
anything like an idea of them, so I shall attempt it no more.
Here the autumnal butterflies were still numerous, and there
were a great many moths attracted by the lamps, during the
warmer evenings.
Leaving our Illinois friends, we proceeded to St. Louis,
the spot where first the French settled on the banks of the
" Father of Waters," and thence to Alton, on the same river,
about eighteen miles north of St. Louis. We had but two
or three days to collect here, but I was rewarded by finding
one butterfly, never before found, I believe, in the United
States.
We now travelled onwards to Chicago, and thence to
Green Bay and Mackinaw, and back to New York, a journey
highly interesting, but which, from the season, and other
causes, produced us but little in the way of Entomology.
From New York we started for the south in November,
merely staying a few days in the various cities we passed
through, until at length we came to an anchor for about six
months at St. John's Bluff", East Florida, which place I must
now try to give an idea of.
(To he continued.)
Art. III. — Observations upon the Affinities and Analogies of Or-
ganized Beings. By Hugh E. Strickland, Esq., F.G.S.
I HAVE read with much interest the paper by Mr. Westwood,
at page 141, on affinity and analogy. The writings of this
gentleman are distinguished no less for scientific accuracy
than for a spirit of sound philosophy, untainted by those
visionary and theoretical views entertained by some of our
modem zoologists. Instead of assuming an a priori system
of his own, and then twisting facts into a partial coincidence
with that system, he is content to take Nature as he finds
her, and not the less to admire her luxuriant variety because
she refuses to marshal her irregular troops into straight lines,
220 OBSERVATIONS UPON THE
circles, or pentagons. This healthy tone of mind imparts a
high value to all that proceeds from Mr. Westwood's pen,
and it is, therefore, with much diffidence that I venture to
make a few remarks on the short essay above referred to.
There is no branch of the philosophy of Zoology so ob-
scure as the subject of affinity and analogy ; and although
many naturalists can correctly apply these two kinds of rela-
tions to particular cases, yet few can give any clear explana-
tion of the rules which influence their practice. Mr. West-
wood's remarks go deeper into the subject than those of most
of his predecessors, yet it seems to me that he has not quite
set the question in its true light. Before referring to his ob-
servations, I will endeavour to explain my own views on this
difficult subject.
Relations of affinity and analogy are in my opinion per-
fectly distinct from each other in every point of view. In
order to arrive at their definitions, we must first prove the
existence of a real natural system, a subject which involves
an enquiry into the designs of creative power, one of the
most awful themes which the human intellect can attempt.
The most obvious and undeniable examples of design in the
organised creation are seen in the adaptation of each species
to the circumstances in which it lives. Now, if this were the
sole mark of design, if each species constituted a being per
se, adapted to its peculiar condition of existence, but not
allied in physiological structure to its fellow species, there
would then be no natural system; — man might indeed clas-
sify such objects according to their accidental or fancied
resemblances, but there would be none of those essential
peculiarities of structure which we find to pervade vast
groups of beings whose external forms are often widely dis-
similar. The existence then of a comparatively few grand
types of structure, or " centres of creation," from the differ-
ent modifications of which the innumerable species now
existing derive their characters, may be taken as a proof that
species were created not absolutely, but relatively, — not
merely with reference to their destined mode of life, but also
with reference to other species whose destination was similar,
though not identical with their own. If these views be cor-
rect, it results that the resemblances of different species in
essential points of structure, furnish evidences of design, less
obvious, perhaps, but not less certain, than the adaptation of
any one species to its external condition of existence ; and
the " natural system" thus acquires an air of truth not inferior
to the ocular demonstrations of anatomy. The reality of the
natural system is not affi^cted by the difficulty experienced
AFFINITIES AND ANALOGIES OF ORGANIZED BEINGS. 221
by man in detecting it ; for it is no more to be expected that
systematists should have already unravelled all the resem-
blances between species contemplated by the Creator, than
that anatomists should have arrived at the final cause of every
organ of the human body. The variety of classifications
adopted by different naturalists, shows that we are still far
from the true system of Nature, yet I think there can be no
doubt that naturalists have already sketched out its principal
features with considerable accuracy. Who, for instance, can
doubt that such groups as Vertebrata, Insecta, Mammalia,
Pisces, Coleoptera, &c., are not merely human generaliza-
tions, but real apartments in the edifice of the Divine Archi-
tect ? It is not, however, sufficient, that man should detect
these natural groups,— he must also give a definition of their
characters,— not of the superficial and arbitrary ones, but
of the essential and important, and this is often the most
difficult part of his task. Although these essential charac-
ters form the groundwork of the natural system, yet no rule
can apparently be laid down for their determination in par-
ticular cases. All that man can do is to use his best judg-
ment in selecting such characters for a group, as seem to him
the most important in their influence on the vital functions
of the beings which compose it. They must, in great mea-
sure, be left to the determination of what Linna)us called a
" latent instinct" which Professor Whewell defines to be " an
unformed and undeveloped apprehension of physiological
functions.^"
When by these considerations we have amved at the no-
tion of a natural system, composed of natural groups arranged
in a determinate order, we may proceed to define affinity as
the relation which subsists between two or more members of
a natural group, or in other words, an agreement in essen-
tial characters. After the essential characters of such a
group have been discovered and defined, then all the objects
which possess those essential characters are said to have an
affinity for one another. Hence we see why the idea of a
natural system is necessary to the definition of affinity, for
in an artijicial system the characters of the groups are not
essential, but arbitrary, and the relation between the mem-
bers of such a group w^ould be, not affinity, but mere resem-
blance or analogy. Thus, if an author were to establish the
characters of the class Visce^, not on the essential characters
derived from the circulatory system, but on the arbitrary one
of being adapted for swimming, he would then include the Ce^
* History of tlie Inductive Sciences, vol. iii. p. 312.
222 REMARKS UPON THE
tacea and the Phocidce among his fish. Now, on comparing
a porpoise with a cod, no one could deny that they both
were fish according to the assumed definition, yet no natu-
ralist would assert the resemblance between them to be one
of aflinity. It is evident then, that the word affinity derives
its meaning fi*om a belief, acknowledged or tacit, in a natural
system, and I do not see how a person who denies the latter,
can attach any meaning to the former, as distinguished from
analogy.
From the above definition of affinity, it follows that the
degree of affinity is inverse to the rank of the group, in other
words, that the members of the lowest group have the high-
est or nearest affinity, and vice versa. The nearest of all
affinities is that which subsists between species of the same
genus, and the most remote is that between animals and
vegetables, as members of the next highest group, viz. organ-
ized bodies. The affinity between two very distantly allied
species, is merely that between the highest separate groups
to which they belong. Thus, the affinity between a bat and
a goatsucker (to take Mr. Westwood's illustration), is merely
that which subsists between mammals and birds, as members
of the group Vertebrata, and is seen quite as perfect in the
whale and the humming-bird, or any other examples of the
two classes. By parity of reasoning, the affinity of a goat-
sucker to a dragon-fly is merely that which subsists between
the subkingdoms Vertebrata and Annulosa, as members of
the natural group Animals, and is, therefore, quite as strongly
exhibited in the case of a shark and a butterfly, or an ele-
phant and a mite, &c. We thus perceive the distinction
between affinity and analogy to consist, not in degree, but in
kind, for there is undoubtedly a very strong analogy between
a goatsucker and a dragon-fly, though the affinity, as above
shown, is very remote. Analogy, in short, is nothing more
than an agreement in non-essential characters, or a resem-
blance which does not constitute affinity. Hence, analogy
is necessarily a very partial resemblance, existing, as Mr.
Westwood remarks, in the "numerical minority" of charac-
ters, and often confined to one organ alone. Analogy origin-
ates, not in the ititentional relation of one species to another
at their first creation, but in the other instance of creative
design above referred to, viz. the adaptation of organic
beings to their destined conditions of existence. To perform
any given mechanical action, there is one, and in general,
only one, arrangement of mechanical structure which is bet-
ter adapted to that end than all others, and hence, when any
two beings, whose affinities are remote, are destined to per-
AFFINITES AND ANALOGIES OF ORGANIZED BEINGS. 223
form a similar function, we find that they are provided with
more or less similar instruments for that purpose. The re-
semblance, in such a case, goes no further than the fulfilment
of the required object, and may, therefore, be regarded as
unintentional, or, in common parlance, accidental. For in-
stance, there can be no question, that a lengthened form,
destitute of sharp angles, and anteriorly pointed, is the best
adapted for passing through the water ; and accordingly, we
find it to prevail, not only in fish, but in Cetacea, aquatic
birds, Dyticidm, Notonectidcd, cuttlefish, &c., and man imi-
tates it in his naval constructions. Yet we have no evidence
that such resemblance is intentional, or in other words, that
whales and Dyticidod were created for the sake of resem-
bling fish, but we merely suppose that in each case, the boat-
shaped structure was given to adapt the animal to an aquatic
life. The examples of these analogies are innumerable, and
appear to me to be owing to the fact, that the real variations
of circumstances which this planet affords are very few, com-
pared with the number of organized beings destined to inhabit
it, so that the performance of the same function continually
recurs in difierent groups of the natural system, and requires,
in each case, a corresponding or analogous organization.
Thus, e. g. there are not more than four principal varieties
oi locality, viz. the air, the ground, shallow water, and deep
w^ater. These four variations of habitat have determined the
structure of the four orders of birds, Insessores, Rasores,
Grallatores, and Natatores. Again, the twofold division of
food into animal and vegetable, has caused the group Bup-
tores to be divided off from the Insessores, and we thus get
the five groups under which the class, birds, is commonly
arranged. Now, as every other species of animal must in-
habit one of the above four localities, and must feed on one
of the above two kinds of food, it follows that the organs of
locomotion and of nutrition, are susceptible of comparatively
very few grand differences of structure, and that the inhabit-
ants of the same element, or the eaters of the same food,
must present numerous points of resemblance, quite indepen-
dent of their natural or essential affinities. This it is which
has given to distantly allied groups an appearance of regu-
larity in their analogies, whence has arisen the " theory of
representation," respecting which I will take occasion to say
a few words.
The theory of representation announces, that " the con-
tents of every circular group are symbolically or analogi-
cally represented by the contents of every other circle in the
Vol. IV.— No. 41. N. s. 2d
224 REMARKS UPON THE
animal kingdom. ' " This has always appeared to me one of the
most unsoimd and unphilosophical of the doctrines main-
tained by the advocates of the circular system. It seems
derogatory to Creative Power to suppose that the principle
of representation had any place in the scheme of creation,
or that certain organs were given to species, not with a view
to the discharge of certain destined functions, but for the
apparently useless object of imitating or representing other
species in a distant part of the system. The advocates of
this theory would have us believe that the long tail of the
horse was given it, not for the purpose of brushing off flies,
but in order to represent the long " tail" [train] of the pea-
cock,* and that both pigs and humming-birds have small
eyes, because they are the tenuirostral types of their respec-
tive "circles." 3 Without wasting words upon the serious
discussion of such puerilities, I will merely repeat my de-
liberate conviction, that relations of analogy are not to be
regarded as affording any evidence of Tr^oal^ea-ig, or intention,
in the scheme of creation, but are mere coincidences of struc-
ture, incidental to the grand design of adapting a large num-
ber of organized beings to perform a comparatively limited
number of functions.
It will be seen that the above view of affinity and analogy
differs considerably from that of Mr. Westwood, in p. 143 of
this Magazine. Mr. W. seems to regard affinity and analogy
as the same relation under different points of view, and as
depending upon the numerical majority or minority of the
points of agreement between the objects compared. Mr.
Westwood's views may be explained by the following tabular
arrangement, showing the number of points of agreement
between four analogous genera.
Goatsucker.
Bat.
Dragon-fly.
Dionsea,
Organized,
Organized.
Organized.
Organized.
Animal.
Animal.
Animal.
Vertebrate.
Vertebrate.
Fly-catching.
Fly-catching.
Fly-catching.
Fly-catching.
4
4
3
2
According to Mr. Westwood, the dragon-fly would be said
to have an affinity to the bat or goatsucker, and an analogy
to the Dionaea, because it agiees with the former creatures in
three points, and with the latter in only two. Again, the bat
has an affinity to the goatsucker, from agreeing with it in
' Swainson, ' Geog. and Classif. of Animals,' p. 230.
2 Swainson, * Classif. of Birds,' vol. ii. p. 159.
3 lb. vol. i. p. 43.
AFFINITIES AND ANALOGIES OF ORGANIZED BEINGS. 225
four points, and an analogy to the dragon-fly and Dioncea,
from agreeing with them in only three and two points re-
spectively. So that an affinity subsists between the bat and
dragon-fly, when compared with the Dioncea, and an analogy,
when compared with the goatsucker. This seems to me to
be a correct statement of Mr. Westwood's views, if I rightly
understand them, and they certainly merit the praise of inge-
nuity. It seems to me, however, that they contain a fallacy,
owing to Mr. W. not having attended to the distinction be-
tween essential and non-essential characters. Thus, the
words organized, animal, and vertebrate, in the above table,
refer to characters of the highest importance to the vital
functions of the creature, and consequently, to its place in
the natural system, whereas the word fly-catching merely
relates to a point of detail in the habits of the creature, of
very secondary value, compared to the former characters.*
I should say then, that these four creatures have affinities iot
one another, in consequence of their agreeing in the essential
characters above stated, and that the degree of their affinities
is proportionate to the number of the essential points in
which they respectively agree, but that their analogies are
derived solely from the one non-essential point oi fly -catching,
which applies to them all in an equal or nearly equal degree.
In short, however strong may be the analogy which the
goatsucker bears to the dragon-fly, I do not consider that it
has any more affinity to the latter, than it has to a beetle, a
lobster, or any other of the Annulosa.
Since writing the above, I have referred to the very valu-
able remarks by Mr. Blyth on affinity and analogy, in ' Mag.
Nat. Hist.,' vol. ix. p. 399, &c., to w^hich I had not suffi-
ciently attended at the time of their publication. His views
appear to me to be more nearly correct than any others which
I have seen in print. The chief point in which they differ
from mine, is in the introduction of a third term, approxima-
tion, as distinct both from affinity and analogy. Mr. Blyth
considers it to be a strong resemblance between certain mem-
bers of groups really distinct, and he illustrates it by the
similitude oiAnthus to Alauda, of Ornithorhynchus to hirds,
of Myxine to Mollusca, &c. Now, it seems to me, that this
approximation resolves itself into affinity or analogy, accord-
ingly as we admit one or other of these two propositions,
either that natural groups are quite distinct from each other
' I only mean that the character oi jiy -catching is unimportant in com-
paring groups of such high rank, but of course it becomes an essential
character when applied to smaller groups, such as families or genera.
226 BOTANY OF JERSEY.
in every part of their contents, or that they touch or show
a tendency to touch each other at some particular point.
Thus, if we suppose all birds to be equally distinct in essen-
tial structure from all mammals, all Vertebrata from all
Mollusca, it is plain that the approximation between Orni-
thorhynchus and birds, and between Myxine and Mollusca,
resolves itself into mere analogy. But if birds have a ten-
dency to unite with mammals by means of Ornithorhynchiis,
and Vertebrata with Mollusca by means of Myxine, then
this approximation must be regarded as an affinity. So that
in either case, approximation is not to be considered as a
distinct principle, but only as an undetermined analogy or
affinity.
With regard to the above enquiry, I am inclined to believe
that the larger natural groups are not only widely separated,
but have no real tendency to unite, — that no mammal, for
instance, is in essence any nearer a bird, — no vertebrate any
nearer a mollusc than another. Be this, however, as it may,
we cannot assert the same complete separation of natural
types, when we look to the smaller groups. There can be
no doubt that the lower groups, such as families and genera,
do, in numerous instances, come into contact, or pass into
one another, and in other cases, where the contact is not com-
plete, yet a tendency towards it is very evident, and in such
cases, the approximation becomes one of real affinity. Such
is most probably the case with An thus and Alauda, quoted
by Mr. Blyth as examples of approximation.
Cracombe House, Evesham, Worcester.
April 10, 1840.
Art. IV. — Notice of a /eta rare Plants, collected principally durinff
the Autumn of 1839, in Jersey. By Joseph Dickson, Esq.
The subject which I now bring before your notice, appears
to me to be one of considerable interest, for two reasons : —
First, as relating to a field, which those who are really fond
of Botany, and who wish to make their herbariums as com-
plete as possible, will not fail to visit ; many plants being
found in this island, which, if not entirely wanting, are for
the most part extremely rare in the British Flora. The se-
cond reason is, that no slight degree of controversy exists,
as to whether the plants of this and the neighbouring islands
should be included in the English or French Flora.
BOTANY OF JERSEY. 227
As far as I am able to institute a comparison (having visited
Brittany and Normandy), the Botany of Jersey (more parti-
cularly the N. E. parts), much more resembles that of the
above provinces of France, than of the southern counties of
England.
Mr. Babington, of Cambridge, having given a very able
sketch of the history of Guernsey and Jersey in a little work
lately published, I refradn from giving any description of them,
fearing to trespass too far on the part of your valuable jour-
nal allotted to this paper. I cannot, however, help noticing,
that there is one locality in Jersey which Mr. B. appears to
me not to have visited ; I refer to a place called " Les Veaux,"
a beautiful spot towards the S. E. part of the island, con-
sisting alternately of wood and plain, mountain and valley,
and where the plants that are found are of the richest, rarest,
and most luxuriant kinds.
It may not be out of place here to correct an erroneous
statement I have seen in some works on Botany, namely, that
Centaurea Isnardi i^ iovmdi in pastures ifi the Isle of Jersey.
From four years constant study of the Botany of this island,
I think I may safely affirm that no such plant is found there ;
in this view I am supported by the testimony of several other
botanists : it is, however, found in one spot in Guernsey, on
the authority of Mr. Babington. I will now proceed to the
immediate object of the present paper, by giving a list of the
plants I have found in the above-mentioned island.
Those marked thus * I have myself discovered.
RANUNCULACEvE. CISTINE^.
*Anemone nemorosa. Helianthemum guttatum.
Ranunculus aquatilis. (Two var.
a large and a small one. FRAN keni ace^ .
fpZTlossifolius, Frankenia Icevi,.
Delphinium Consolida.
LINEJE.
BERBERlDEiE. *LiNUM mitatissimum^
Berberis vulgaris.
PAPAVERACEJE.
POMACES.
Mespilus germanica.
*Pa paver maritimum.
GlAUCIUM luteum. CRUCIFERiE.
FUMARIACE^.
Matthiola sinuata.
Cheiranthus Cheiri.
Vv MARIA, officinalis. Rather rare. * Arabis hirsuta.
■ capreolata. Cardamine pratensis. Two var.
228
BOTANY OF JERSEY.
Cardamine hirsuta.
Glyce maritima.
Erophila vulgaris.
CocHLEARiA Armoracia.
officinalis.
anglica.
danica.
Thlaspi arvense.
Teesdalia Iheris.
Cakile maritima.
Alltaria officinalis. (Rare).
CoRONOPUS didyma.
*Lepidium Draha.
Brassica oleracea.
SiNAPis cheiranthus.
Di PLOT AXIS muralis.
*Crambe maritima.
Raphanus maritimus.
CARTOPHYLLE^.
DiANTHUS prolifer.
*Silene quinquevulnera.
conica.
nutans.
noctijlora.
Sagina maritima.
Stellaria nemorum.
Holosteum umbellatum.
Are N aria tenuifolia.
* media.
MALVACE^.
*Malva pusilla.
Lavatera arborea.
HYPERICINE^.
ANDROSiEMUM officinale.
Hypericum elodes.
GERANIACE^.
Geranium roiundifolium.
columbinum.
* nodosum.
Erodium maritimum.
LEGUMINOSJE.
*Ononis reclinata.
spinosa.
Medicago denticulata.
minima,
maculata.
Trifolium glom£ratum.
*Tbifolium arvense. A very woolly
variety.
Lotus angustissimus.
*Vicia lutea.
ONAGRARIiE.
Epilobium angustifolium.
*(Enothera biennis.
IsNARDiA palustris.
CALLITRICHINE^.
Callitriche pedunculata.
TAMARISCINEiE.
Tamarix ^a/?ica.
CUCURBITACEiE.
Bryonia dioica.
ILLECEBREJS.
Illecebrum verticillatum.
Polycarpon tetraphyllum.
CRASSULACE^.
Umbilicus pendulinus.
Semperyivum tectorum.
SAXIFRAGES.
♦Parnassia palustris.
UMBELLIFER-E.
Daucus Carota.
maritima.
Eryngium maritimum.
campestre.
Peucedanum officinale.
*(Enanthe pimpinelloides.
STELLAT-E.
*Galium saxatile.
CAPRIFOLIACE-ai:.
*LoNiCERA Xylosteum.
LORANTHES
*ViscuM album.
BOTANY OF JERSEY.
229
COMPOSITE.
*Chrysocoma Linosyris.
SoLiDAGO Virgaurea.
^Achillea Ptarmica.
*Lactuca muralis.
BORAGINE^.
EcHiUM violaceum.
*Anchusa officinalis.
CONVOLVULACE.E.
Calystegia Soldanella.
CuscuTA Epithymum.
CAMPANULACE^.
^Campanula rotundifolia.
hederacea.
PLANTAGINE^.
Plantago major. Small var.
maritima.
PLUMBAGINACEJE.
Statice Limonium.
spathulata.
* reticulata.
Armeria maritima.
OLEACE^.
LiGUSTRUM vulgare.
ERICE^ •
Calluna vulgaris.
Erica Tetralix.
* vagans.
PYROLE^.
•*Pyrola rotundifolia.
MELAMPYRACEiE.
*Melampyrum pratense.
GENTIANEiE.
ExACUM filiforme.
Erythr^a littoralis.
latifolia.
puichella.
*Gentiana campestris.
Menyanthes trifoliata.
SOLANEiE.
Datura Stramonium.
Hyoscyamus niger.
Verbascum Thapsus.
nigrum.
* lychnitis.
Solan UM nigrum.
Atropa Belladonna.
PRIMULACEiE.
Glaux maritima.
Samolus Valerandi.
Primula veris.
Anagallis arvensis. Flesh-coloured
flowers.
carulea.
LENTIBULARIJE.
Utricularia vulgaris.
PiNGuicuLA vulgaris.
lusitanica.
SCROPHULARINE-E.
Bartsia viscosa.
Odontites.
*DiGiTAhis purpurea. A white-flow-
ered variety.
OROBANCHE^.
Orobanche major.
minor.
ccerulea.
VERBENACE-ffi.
Verbena officinalis.
LABIAT-E.
*Salvia pratensis.
*Ajuga Chamcepitys. »
*Lycopus europcBus.
*Mentha pratensis.
Thymus Serpyllum.
Origanum vulgare.
Melissa Acinos.
*Melittis Melissophyllum.
■^G A LEO PS is villosa.
Lamium album.
230
FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG.
Lamium incisum.
* Galeohdolon.
IRIDE^.
Marrubium apulum. A woolly va- *Trichonema Bulhocodium
riety of vulgare.
Scutellaria galericulata.
ELEAGNACE^.
*HiPPOPHAE rhamnoides.
POLYGONE^.
RuMEX maritimus.
Nemolapathum.
Polygonum Persicaria (white-flws.)
Bistorta.
Fagopyrum.
Convolvulus.
CHENOPODEiE.
Salsola Kali.
*Chenopodium hotryodes.
* maritimum.
* fruticosum.
CUPULIFER^.
Castanea vesca.
URTICEiE.
Parietaria officinalis.
*Urtica pilulifera.
Humulus Lupulus.
FLUVIALES.
Zoster A marina.
RuppiA maritima.
Iris fcetidissima.
ORCHIDE^.
Spiranthes autumnalis.
LisTERA ovata.
Epipactis palustris.
Orchis mascula.
maculata.
latifolia.
AMARYLLIDE^.
*Galanthus nivalis.
^Narcissus poeticus.
* Pseudo -narcissus.
LILIACE^.
Tulipa sylvestris.
ASPHODELE^.
Asparagus officinalis.
Scilla autumnalis.
Hyacinth us non-scriptus.
JUNCEiE
J uncus capitatus.
* maritimus.
DIOSCORE.E.
Tamus communis.
Art. V. — On the Fossil Shells of the Crag. By S. V. Wood,
Esq., F.G.S..
Plevrodon, (new genus.)
Shell bivalve, inequilateral ; hinge-line curved ; cardinal teeth several ;
one large lateral tooth ; ligament external.
Pleurodon ovalis, Nob. Suppl. PL No. xiii. fig. 1 .
Nuctda miliaris{?), Degh. Coq. Foss. des Env. de Par. PL 36, fig. 7 — 9,
Shell ovato-deltoidal, gibbous, smooth, margin entire, 5 — 6 converging car-
dinal teeth. Largest diameter ^^ of an inch.
rWxL
/-^if^
6
#
kkM^k^^
Q.^^.^i^.^k^^y.
.r/j.r.cS-ru'/'/-Av ffr.
FOSSIL.SHELLS OF THE CRAG. 231
Coralline crag, Ramsholt and Sutton.
I propose to give the generic name Pleurodon, to a small
coralline-crag shell, which it seems to me cannot properly be
referred to any genus hitherto established. The Nucula
miliaris of M. Deshayes, if not specifically identical with this
shell, must be closely allied to it ; and in placing the French
fossil in the genus Nucula, M. Deshayes has expressed a
doubt as to the correctness of his determination, in conse-
quence of the existence of the lateral tooth. The affinities
of Pleurodon, as indicated by the shell alone, probably justify
its being placed with the Arcacece ; though its precise posi-
tion in that family cannot be determined in the absence of a
knowledge of the animal.
At Ramsholt the valves are generally found united, the
large prominent teeth retaining them in apposition. I have
given as a synonyme the above name of Deshayes, presum-
ing his Nucula miliaris may be the same shell, but I am un-
able to discover the internal pit for the ligament he speaks of,
and which his figure so conspicuously displays. The crag
specimens have a depression placed externally to the teeth
on the shorter side, where I imagine the ligament to have
been situated. Deshaye's figure shows seven teeth, whilst
the shells from the crag never display more than six, and sel-
dom more than five.
Area No(B, Auct. PI. xiii. fig. 2 and 2 a.
Red crag Sutton, fig. 2. Coralline crag, Sutton, fig. 2 a.
T feel unwilling to give a new name to this shell, since a
very scrupulous examination inclines me to the behef of its
not being specifically different from a well-known British
species, although it was a matter of some difficulty to satisfy
myself on this point. My crag specimens vary much, as do
also the recent shells : a young one of the latter in my pos-
session, corresponds with the fossil in all respects except in
the direction of the teeth, which, in the recent, are vertical,
while in the fossil, those ^.-laced towards the extremity of the
hinge-line are much inclined : I believe, however, that in the
recent shell this character may be occasionally observed. —
The longitudinal rays, in some specimens, are regular and
single, in others they are alternately large and small. The
lines of growth are very distinct ; the shell is thickened by
the lateral muscular impressions ; the chevron-formed lines
in the ligamental area are about foui or five. Small specimens
Vol. IV.— No. 41. n. s. 2 e
232 FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG.
from the coralline crag are sufficiently abundant ; those from
the red crag occur but rarely.
The two figures referred to T consider to be of the same
species ; but must leave it for further observation to confirm
or refute this opinion.
Area lactanea, Nob. PI. xiii. fig. 3.
Shell transverse, decussated, anterior side subangulated, beaks approxi-
mate, margin entire. Longitudinal diameter, f ; transverse diameter f
of an inch.
Red crag, Walton, Essex. Coralline crag, Sutton.
This shell differs from Area lactea in being rather more in-
equilateral, and in being less angular at its anterior margin :
the ligamental area is also so much smaller as, in my opinion,
to render its separation from that species necessary. The
rays are numerous, and decussated by lines of growth ; the
teeth in the centre of the hinge-line are vertical, but they be-
come gradually inclined towards its extremities. Specimens
fi'om the red crag are often much distorted, like the recent
shell, so as to be nearly equilateral and scarcely transverse ;
but the anterior side always preserves a more rounded form
than any of the recent specimens that I have seen. There is
a small sinus in the basal margin. One antique specimen
from the red crag measures an inch in its transverse diameter.
Area raridentata^ Nob. PI. xiii. ^^. 4.
Shell subrhomboidal, tumid, externally rayed, teeth much inclined, mar-
gin crenulated. Longitudinal diam. ^; transverse diam. gg of an inch.
Coralline crag, Sutton.
An abundant species. The teeth in this shell are similar
in their arrangement to those of Cueullaa, but the valves of
that genus are described as being closed and free, while in
this there is a sinus in the margin, and probably it was an at-
tached shell. The teeth are generally three in number on
the shorter side, making an angle of 45° with the hinge-line,
and three on the longer side, w^hich are nearly horizontal. —
The shell is longitudinally striated, and the strice are cut by
elevated lines of growth, giving to the exterior a cancellated
appearance; the anterior side is rounded; posterior sub an-
gulated ; muscular impressions indistinct.
FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG. 233
Pectunculus pilosus, Auct. PI. xiii. fig. 7.
Pectunculus glycimeris, Turton. Pectunculus polyodonta, Goldf.
„ pulvinatm, Brongn. „ variabilis, Min. Con.
„ obovatusj Lam.
Red crag, passim. Coralline crag, Ramsholt and Sud-
boume.
An abundant shell in both the red and coralline deposits,
and very variable. I have included the whole of the above
synonymes, considering them all to refer to the same species.
Among a hundred specimens of the crag fossil, some may be
found thick, tumid, and longitudinal ; others thin, lenticular,
and transverse. After a careful examination of an immense
series of specimens, I cannot detect any character sufficiently
permanent to vrarrant a separation of the crag fi-om the re-
cent shell. The number of teeth in the younger shells is up-
vrards of twenty, but the central ones become obhterated.
The large obtuse angle on one side is rather more strongly
marked in the recent shell, but it is visible in most of my
specimens. At most it would only constitute a variety. One
antiquated specimen in my possession has only three teeth
remaining. The chevron-formed lines in the ligamental area
(from five to eight), are deeply impressed in some specimens
but obsolete in others, even when the valves are found united,
so that the above condition could not be a result of subsequent
attrition. My largest specimen measures a little more than
three inches across, but a magnificent specimen of the recent
shell from the Mediterranean, in the possession of Mr. G. B.
Sowerby, has attained the diameter of nearly six inches.
A number of specimens of the same species from Sicily,
obligingly sent me by Madame Power, exhibit the same va-
riations in character, although a slight obliquity prevails
among the generality of them.
I have given a figiu-e of this shell, for the purpose of show-
ing the difference between it and another crag Pectunculus^
which I regard as new. In many instances however the for-
mer shell contrasts much less strongly with the new species,
than in the one which I have had drawn for illustration.
Pectunculus suhobliquus, Nob. PI. xiii. fig. 6.
iticular, sub -inequilateral, s
ransverse lines of growth, m;
Red crag, Walton-Naze.
Shell lenticular, sub -inequilateral, slightly oblique, longitudinally striated
with transverse lines of growth, margin crenulated. Diameter 2 inches.
234 FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG.
I consider this a distinct species, from its obliquity and
general uniformity of character : when compared with the last
species, it is thinner, the hinge never so broad, and the um-
ho is but slightly prominent ; externally it is covered with
numerous fine strice ; the chevron-formed lines are eight or
nine in number, and deeply impressed.
At the above locality these shells are very abundant and in
good preservation, the valves being frequently united, an un-
common occurrence with the bivalves found in any other lo-
cality of the red crag. If this really be a distinct species
(and I have given my reason for thinking it such), the dura-
tion of its existence was very short, the creation and extinc-
tion appearing to be limited to the period of the red crag.
Pectunculus pygmcBus. PI. xiii. fig. 5.
Pectunculiis pygmmts , Philippi, ' Moll. Sicil.' page 63, tab. 5, fig. 5.
Shell rhomhoidal, inequilateral, oblique, ventricose, ligamental area with a
central deltoidal pit ; hinge teeth about ten, margin crenulated. Lon-
gitudinal diameter i ; transverse diameter ^ of an inch.
Coralline crag, Sutton.
Abundant. This shell appears to agree with the descrip-
tion and figure above quoted. The four teeth on the anterior
side are nearly horizontal, while four of those on the other
are vertical and very prominent, the two most lateral, angu-
lated. The arrangement of the teeth in the figure of the Si-
cilian shell is indistinct, and the description merely says, —
" dentes circa decem." The shell is striated and sulcated,
by which the exterior has a cancellated appearance ; the
longitudinal st^'ice are visible internally ; a few on the ante-
rior angle are more conspicuous ; the margin is crenulated all
round. This species, and a few others, have been put into a
separate genus [Limopsis), in consequence of the central del-
toidal pit in which the ligament appears to have been placed,
instead of being spread over the whole area; between the
hinge line and umbo a small opening is visible in those spe-
cimens where the valves are found united. Pectunculus na-
nus of Deshayes differs in the arrangement of the teeth, and
in having the longitudinal stricB more strongly marked : his
figure does not show the deltoidal pit.
(To he continued.)
ORTHAGORISCUS MOLA. 235
Art. VI. — Description of a Specimen of the Ortliagoriscus mola
(Sun Fish), caught off the Irish Coast in June, 1839, and pre-
served in the Museum of the Natural History Society of Dublin.
By O'Bryen Bellingham, M.D., &c., &c.*
The Orthagoriscus mola, (the Tetraodon mola and Diodon
mola of former writers), the short sun-fish of English au-
thors, so very rarely occurs upon our coasts, and the descrip-
tions and figures, more particularly the latter, given by
naturalists, vary so much, that I have drawn up a short
account of the very fine specimen before me, and at the dis-
section of which I assisted.
It was caught off the coast of Acklow, by some fishermen
belonging to Kingstown, on the 29th of last June, by means
of a noose thrown over it, while apparently asleep upon
the surface of the water ; from them it was purchased by
T. Dixon, Esq., a member of the council of this Society,
and by him has been most liberally presented to our Museum.
It has been, I need hardly observe, admirably preserved by
Mr. Glennon.
The fishermen stated, that when seized, it made several
ineffectual attempts to escape, and splashed the water in a
furious manner, throwing up great quantities with its tail.
The majority of the specimens of this fish which have been
taken off the British coast, have been observed floating upon
the surface of the water. Mr. Couch says that in calm wea-
ther it often mounts to the surface, and lies, probably asleep,
with its head partly above water, presenting the broad surface
of one side to view, and floating with the tide. It seems,
says Dr. Neill (speaking of one brought to him), " to be a stu-
pid dull fish ; it made little or no attempt to escape, but
allowed one of the sailors to put his hands under it, and lift
it fairly into the boat :" Mr. Couch, however, says that he has
known it to make powerful efforts to escape, just as the fisher
men describe this one to have done.
The Orthagoriscus mo/a belongs to the order Gymnodontes,
the characters of which are " no true teeth, but the jaws are
covered with a lamellated substance resembling ivory, either
entire or divided in the middle by a suture : opercle small ;
branchiostegous rays five upon each side, deeply concealed,"
and to the genus Orthagoriscus, \\ivf\vvc\i "the jaws are undi-
vided, body very much compressed, short, truncated behind,
' Read at a meeting of the Society, Friday, April 3, 1840. Communi-
cated by the author to the ' Mag. Nat. Hist.'
236 DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIMEN
rough, but without spines, not capable of inflation ; dorsal and
anal fins high and pointed, uniting with the caudal."
Two species of Orthagoriscus are described to inhabit the
British seas, Or. mola and Or. ohlonga. Lacepede, however,
asserts, that there is no specific distinction between them,
and Gmelin makes the Or. ohlonga, a mere variety of the
Orthagoriscus mola.
The colour of the specimen, the subject of the present
communication, when recent, was dusky grey upon the back,
speckled with silvery white upon the sides ; belly silvery.
The cuticle was very rough, with innumerable minute
prickles ; these were largest and most prominent about the
lips and upon the head.
It weighed one hundred and ninety-six pounds.
It measured 4 feet in length ; its greatest depth was 2 feet
4 inches, and its greatest thickness near the head, 14 inches.
The dorsal and abdominal edges were sharp and keel-
shaped ; a transverse depressed line appeared to mark the
distinction between the body and the caudal portion.
The dorsal and anal fins are opposite each other ; each is
19 J inches long, and 9 inches broad, at the base.
The pectoral fin on right side is larger than on left, mea-
suring 7 inches in longest diameter, which is diagonally firom
above downwards and backwards.
From the centre of the pupil to the angle of the mouth,
Q\ inches, and fi-om centre of pupil to anterior edge of bran-
chial aperture, 6j inches.
The vent is 4 inches anterior to anal fin, and an inch be-
hind the vent is the external opening of the urinary organs.
Numher of Fin-Rays.
Pectoral, 13 ; Ventral, 16 ; Dorsal, 18.
These measurements were all made and noted down before
the animal had been skinned. The dissection was performed
by Mr. Glennon, superintended and assisted by T. Dixon,
Esq., Dr. Gilgeons, and myself. The mouth is small, con-
sists of two lips, and two solid, undivided, bony jaws, the upper
having a groove to receive the under; their edges are jagged
and sharp. I^he gape of the mouth is 2 inches, its width
3| inches.
Above the mouth is a moveable proboscis which projects
an inch beyond the upper lip ; its point is protected by a bony
scale convex anteriorly, and resembling the common limpet-
shell.
OF ORTHAGORISCUS MOLA. 237
There is another bony scale 6 inches below the inferior
maxilla, which is 2 inches long and 1 inch broad.
The aperture of the eye is somewhat oval, 2 J by 2 inches
in the long diameter from before backwards. The eyes have
a deep blue colour, the iris silvery white, \ of an inch wide ;
when the eyeball was pressed inwards, a white membrane,
resembling the membrana nictitans, appeared, and could be
made completely to cover the eye.
The branchial aperture is situated an inch anteriorly to the
pectoral fin, its length is 3 inches, its breadth 2 inches, the
long diameter being from above downwards ; it is closed by
a loose fleshy valve.
The dorsal and anal fins are very long and pointed, their
anterior margin straight and thick, their posterior thin and
rounded, and continuous with the caudal portion.
The pectoral fins are much smaller, have a rounded figure,
narrower at the base, they are attached horizontally ; the
pectoral of right side is a little larger than that of left.
The caudal portion of the animal consists of nine semicir-
cular lobes, the convexity directed backwards, the central lobe
the largest, measuring 4J inches from above downwards ; be-
tween each pair of these lobes is a deposit of bony matter,
firmly connected to the integuments ; these are eight in num-
ber; they are nearly an inch in length; their concave edge
looking backwards.
The palate and tongue were provided with a few sharp
curved teeth.
The alimentary canal measured 1 1 feet 6 inches in length ;
its coats were strong and thick ; there was no apparent dis-
tinction between stomach and intestine : the alimentary canal,
near the cesophagus being little wider than at its termination.
As there was no mark by which to distinguish the junction
of the stomach with the intestine, it could not be said whe-
ther the biliary duct opened into the stomach or duodenum.
The gall bladder was very large, as also its duct. The
liver was of a considerable size. The urinary bladder was
large and thick ; its interior surface plicate.
The stomach and intestines contained some fi"agments of
corallines, with much viscid mucus.
The alimentary canal contained, in addition, several spe-
cies of Entozoa, which are new, I believe, to the British
Fauna. In the stomach and intestines I found great numbers
of the Botlwiocephalus microcephalus, and of the Disioma
nigrqflavum, besides a species of Distoma which does not
appear to have been described. In the liver and peritonceum
were several of the Anthocephalus elongatus, and upon the
238 DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIMEN
gills many of Ihe Distoma contortum. Attached to the gills,
were also a few specimens of a very remarkable crustaceous
parasite, which have been preserved by Mr. Dixon, and will,
probably, prove to be new to the Fauna of this country.
This short account of the internal anatomy of this rare
fish, may, perhaps, appear to be very superficial : my apology
must be that the dissection was conducted under very
unfavourable circumstances ; it was made in the open air,
and upon the ground in the commissioners' yard at Kings-
town, in a position where we were liable to continual inter-
ruptions. Moreover, my time being limited, the examina-
tion was necessarily more hurried than I could have wished ;
and I had no means of preserving any of the parts for a
more extended and careful examination.
The figures given in different works intended to represent
this species, are, many of them, very unlike the present spe-
cimen. In Bloch's figure, which appears to have been copied
into Shaw's work on Zoology ; in Donovan's and in Pennant's
figures, and in that given in the best and most recent work
upon British fishes, by YaiTell, the caudal portion of the ani-
mal is represented to have all the appearance of a fin, the
rays being distinct.
The figure which Dr. Jacob has given in the last number
of the * Dublin Philosophical Journal,' of a specimen which
he dissected, represents this part pretty accurately, but in
other particulars it differs materially from the specimen before
me. In his figure, the shape of the pectoral fin is materially
different ; the number of fin-rays was also not the same, and
the animal was shorter in proportion to its depth. No writer
appears to have noticed the bony deposits upon the probos-
cis and below the inferior maxilla^ nor those between the
lobes of the caudal portion of the animal.
In the * Historia Piscium Francisci Willughbei,' published
at Oxford in 1686, is contained a description of the Ortha-
goriscus mola, which is accurate in many particulars ; the
figure is also very good for the time. The specimen from
which he took his description was upwards of 2 feet in
length. " The body short and deep, posteriorly provided with
a circular pinna, or tail ; the skin not scaly, but hard, thick,
and rough. Colour on back blackish, belly silvery ; mouth
very small for a fish of its size. Maxillce hard, sharp and
rough ; eyes small ; where the body passed into the caudal
portion, the skin was marked with a transverse band, or de-
pression."
" Liver large, thick, and whitish ; gall-bladder very large ;
its duct opened into the stomach, not far from its superior
OF ORTHAGORISCUS MO LA. 239
orifice ; spleen small and dark-coloured ; urinary bladder
very large, the urethra not terminating in the anus, but open-
ing externally by an orifice peculiar to itself, a little behind
the anus.^''
I have only seen two other specimens of the Orthagoris-
cus mola; one is preserved in the Museum of the Royal
Dublin Society ; it is much smaller, and its depth is greater
in proportion to its length than in the example before us :
the other, Mr. Robert Ball has very kindly given me permis-
sion to exhibit to the Society this evening ; it is evidently a
younger fish ; it agrees, however, in every particular except
in size, with the specimen before us.
In a communication which I have very recently had with
Mr. Ball, he says "between the years 1818 and 1825, I saw
five of these animals off the coast of Youghal ; three were
dead, and two of them are in my possession, the specimen I
send is the larger." "Considerable difference exists in the
thickness and other proportions of the caudal portion of the
animal ; in the young it is very thin ; the bony tubercles are
also probably much dependent in number and size upon age.
A specimen which I saw in Professor Harrison's Museum,
only a few inches long, was much more like the figure in
Yarrell's work. There seems to be a regular gradation from
his, through mine, up to the specimen contained in the Muse-
um of the Natural History Society."
In conclusion then, it would appear that the specimens of
Orthagoriscus mola which have been figured and described
by British writers, were young fish, whereas the subject of
my present communication is evidently a nearly fiiU-grown
animal ; and this will sufficiently explain the reason why their
descriptions and figures do not tally in every respect with
the specimen upon the table. It does not appear to me to
be at all necessary (as a member of our Society seems to
think), that we should look out for some new genus to place
it in. Its characters agree in every particular v^dth those of
the genus Orthagoriscus, as laid down in one of the latest
and best works upon British Animals, ' Jenyns' Manual ; '
and that it is the Orthagoriscus mola, I have the additional
authorities of Mr. William Thompson, Mr. Robert Ball, and
Mr. Wilde, all of whom have carefully examined it, and
whose opinion upon such a point, no person in Dublin is
competent to call in question. But if additional evidence
be wanting, I may mention, that the four species of Entozoa
which occurred in it, are identical with those found in the
Orthagoriscus mola by Cuvier, Rudolphi, and Bremser ; and
Vol. IV.— No. 41. n. s. 2 i
240 ORTHAGORISCUS MOLA.
three of those species have never been found to inhabit any
other fish.
Subjoined is a short description of these Entozoa, speci-
mens of which I have the pleasure of presenting to the Na-
tural History Society.
Di STOMA contortum.
On the gills of the sun-fish were a great number of this
species.
They are cylindrical ; the longest 10 or 11 lines in length ;
colour white anteriorly, yellowish-red posteriorly : they almost
all assumed a curved form (as Rudolphi has described, and
from which he has given the name).
The anterior pore is small and circular, the ventral larger,
elliptical, or circular ; in some seated upon a peduncle nearly
the length of the neck. The neck measured nearly 3 lines in
largest specimen, it is convex upon dorsal, concave on ventral
surface ; it, as well as the head, is armed, particularly upon
the convex surface, with numerous minute spines ; these are
not continued posteriorly beyond the ventral pore. The body
is cylindrical, its greatest diameter being behind the ventral
pore, and diminishing gradually towards the caudal extremity.
The ova are very small, and exceedingly numerous ; they
have a yellow colour, and appear to be the cause of that
colour in the posterior part of the body.
This species has only been found upon the gills of the
Orthagorisctis mola.
Di STOMA nigroflavum.
The intestines of the sun-fish contained several Distoma
which have most of the characters of Distoma nigroflavum^
but I could not see the aculei which Rudolphi describes upon
the head and neck.
The longest specimen was an inch and a half, others about
three quarters of an inch ; their colour in some parts black,
in others yellowish ; the head white.
The ventral pore is pedunculated ; the peduncle in a few
being as long as the neck, from which circumstance they bear
a close resemblance to the Distoma furcatum, and might
even pass for this species, as Rudolphi has remarked. The
body of the animal is cylindrical and slender, nearly of the
same diameter throughout ; the skin is flaccid.
This species Rudolphi has only found in the alimentary
canal of the Orthagoriscvs mola.
NOTES ON BRITISH FERNS. 241
BoTHRiocEPHALUs micTOcephalus.
The intestines of the sun-fish contained an immense num-
ber of this species ; the longest was upwards of 3 feet in
length : colour white : the widest part of the body was a little
more than 3 lines. Several of them lived in water for twenty-
four hours.
The head is small, triangular, or sagittate, terminating
anteriorly in a little papillary eminence. The bothrii, or
depressions upon the head, are two in number, of an oval
shape, wider posteriorly ; there is no neck ; the anterior
articulations are funnel-shaped ; they gradually become
longer, then shorter, and in some individuals the most poste-
rior articulations are merely transverse rugce. The articula-
tion which terminates the body is smaller than the others.
Rudolphi describes this species as being found only in the
Orthagoriscus mola.
Anthocephalvs elongatus.
This species was discovered by Cuvier, in the liver of the
Orthagoriscus mola : he created a new genus for it, which he
called Floriceps ; but as it agrees in every respect with the
genus Anthocephalus established by Rudolphi, it is now
placed there.
The whole surface of the liver was marked with the cysts
of this species, the longest which I was able to extract was
7 inches, and it was not complete.
The body of the animal is soft, flattened in parts, in others
nearly cylindrical : it terminates posteriorly in a caudal vesicle ;
the head is provided with two ear-shaped depressions, and
four retractile armed tentaculm.
Rudolphi has found this species in the liver and mesentery
of the Orthagoriscus mola, in the mesentery of the Centrono-
tus glaucus, and also in the Scicena aquila.
Art. VII. — Afeiu Notes on British Ferns. By Edward Newman,
Esq., F.L.S., &c.
. Sir,
The publication of my ' History of British Ferns'
has been the means of bringing me a very valuable and
somewhat voluminous coiTcspondence, touching botany gene-
rally, and ferns more particularly. A great portion of the
242 NOTES ON BRITISH FERNS.
information which I have thus obtained, valuable as it now
is, would have been still more so had I possessed it previ-
ously to the appearance of the monograph ; for a detached
Appendix is nearly sure to be lost, and if I refrain altogether
from publishing, in the chimerical hope of a second edition,
the loss seems equally certain ; I therefore gladly avail my-
self of your kind pennission, to insert in the ' Magazine of
Natural History ' those memoranda which appear more par-
ticularly interesting.
I am. Sir,
Your's &c.,
EDWARD NEWMAN.
45, Wellclose Square,
April 13, 1840.
Note 1. Pteris aquilina of Authors.
I am indebted to Mr. Bladon, of Pont-y-pool, for the fol-
lowing note.
"In many of the open mountainous parts of Wales, where
it grows abundantly, the Brakes is cut down in the summer,
and after being well dried, is burned by the cottagers in large
heaps, for the sake of the alkali contained in the ashes: when
sufficiently burned, enough salt-water is sprinkled on the
ashes to make them adhere together, when they are rolled
into roimd balls, about two inches, or two-and-a-half in dia-
meter. These balls are thoroughly dried, and carried about
the neighboumood where they are made, for sale in the mar-
kets ; and they are also frequently kept by shopkeepers, to
supply their customers. The price of these balls varies in
different seasons, from 3c?. to 8^. per dozen. They are very
much prized by some housewives, for their utility in the
wash-house, in economizing the use of soap. When about
to be used they are put into the fire, and when heated to a
red heat, are taken out and thrown into a tub of water ; the
water, in the course of an hour or so, becomes a strong ley,
and is then fit for use."
Note 2. Lastrma rigida. Presl.
I am indebted to Mr. J. Tatham, Jun., of Settle, in York-
shire, for an abundant supply of Lastr(Ba rigida, the fronds
in a dried, the roots in a growing state. The frond appears
to be early deciduous, no trace of it remaining on the roots
which I have received. It grows abundantly in the fissures of
NOTES ON BRITISH FERNS.
243
limestone rocks, at an elevation 1550 feet above the sea, 1050
above the town of Settle : in company with it are found As-
plenium viride and Polystichum Lonchitis, the latter spar-
ingly. Mr. Tatham observes, " the representation ofPoL Lon-
chitis at page 44 (of the ' British Ferns ') is excellent ; the
masses of thecce with us are generally confined to about a
third of the fi-ond, but I have some that are half covered."
I shall, perhaps, be pardoned, for citing this laudatory pas-
sage; my object is to show that Mr. Tatham considers the
Irish plant figured at p. 44, as identical with the Settle
plant.
Note 3. AsPLENiuM Trichomanes of Authors.
This fern is, generally speaking, constant in its form, and
rather remarkable for its uniformity of appearance. I have,
however, received a beautiful and very marked variety from Mr.
Samuel Gibson, of Hebden Bridge, near Halifax, in York-
shire : the pinn(B, instead of being nearly entire, as is usually
the case, are deeply pinnatifid, as represented in the accom-
panying figure, and the pinnul<B or lobes are irregularly den-
Variety of Asplenium Trichomanes.
tate. The specimens sent by Mr. Gibson are perfectly without
fructification, but I do not know whether this is to be consi-
dered a character of the variety, or incidental only to the
fi*onds I have received. The lower figure is a facsimile
representation of one fi-ond, as regards form and size, the
upper figure represents a portion of a frond, in which the
divisions are still more irregular.
This beautiful variety appears to have been known to our
earliest botanists, two previous figures of it existing in their
works ; neither of them, however, represents the fi-onds quite
so deeply divided as in the present instance. One figure is
in Plukenet's ' Phytographia,' tab. 73, fig. 6, the plant being
described in that author's ' Almagestum Botanicum,' p. 9, as
" Adiantum maritimum, segmentis rotundioribus : " it is
244 CORRESPONDENCE, &C.
stated on the authority of Sherard, to have been found in
Jersey. The second figure is in Tourneforfs * Institutiones
Rei Herbariae,' tab. 315, fig. 6. It is also noticed in Dille-
nius' edition of Ray's ' Synopsis,' and by Smith, in the ' En-
glish Flora,' where it constitutes the variety /3 of Asplenium
Tridiomanes. The variety y of Smith, to which that author
quotes Sir Robert Sibbald's description (" Tri. aliud, foliis
tnucronatis prqfwfide incisis,'''^ ^Scotia Illustrata' sec. 2. p. 52)
appears to have little resemblance to the variety, or even
species in question, if I may venture to judge from the figure
(Sibb., tab. iii. fig. 4) to which Smith refers ; but as to the
correctness of the reference, I am unable to speak, for Sib-
bald himself has, in no way that I can discover, connected
the text and figure.
Mr. Gibson's plant was gathered at Kant Clough, four
miles from Burnley, in Lancashire : it was originally disco^
vered there in 1832, and some plants taken up at that date
and planted in a garden at Halifax, have been found to retain
their remarkable character in cultivation.
CORRESPONDENCE, INTELLIGENCE, &c.
Missionary Settlement,
Achill Island, April 8, 1840.
Sir,
I am indebted to the kindness of some anonymous corre-
spondent, for the following extract from an article entitled * Notes on
Irish Natural History,' which appeared in the 36th number' of your
Magazine; and as it contains what seems to me very uncandid misre-
presentations of the character of the establishment which is entrusted
to my superintendence, I trust your sense of justice will induce you
to publish this letter, supplying the facts, which the writer of the
article to which I have alluded has thought fit to suppress.
The objectionable passage to which my attention has been directed,
is as follows ; —
'' The natives of Achill are charged with being thieves and mur-
derers ; and if I were to place full reliance on all I heard at the Set-
tlement, they would appear to be so. Mr. Long, however, with every
thing constantly exposed (walls and hedges being here unknown), and
living amongst a population from whom he has no power to defend
himself, has never lost even a potato. I allude not to this politically,
but bearing in mind solely the natural history of the island, and its
capability of improvement, I pronounce, without hesitation, that if
CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 245
goodness of soil, lowness of rent, cheapness of labour, and safety of
property be recommendations, then that no spot I have ever seen, is
more likely to reward the emigrant than the island of Achill. Would
that some unpolitical and unsectarian philanthropists, men who took a
human view of the human wants and human failings of these poor
islanders, would settle among them, and place in their hands the
plough and the spade, teach the children to read and write, the boys to
make shoes and coats, to fish, and to dig, and rake, and sow, and reap,
and build houses ; and the girls to knit and spin, and make gowns ;
use them like brothers and sisters and children, then might this island
become a centre of happiness and prosperity."
I am sure. Sir, that candour will constrain you to admit, that any
person forming a judgment of our proceedings from the statements
contained in the above extract, would conclude that we took no care
whatever to promote the temporal interests of our poor neighbours, or
the general improvement of the island.
This is a most unfair and ungenerous misrepresentation. We are
at considerable cost and much labour, " teaching the children to read
and write," " the boys to make shoes and coats, to build houses ; "
" the girls to knit and make gowns, &c.," and the men to adopt an im-
proved system of agriculture. But, Sir, as I wish to give you proof,
and not assertion, let me call your attention to the following extracts
from the authorized report of the evidence given before the Committee
of the House of Lords, which sat on the Irish Education System, in
1837. The first witness, from whose evidence I make the following
brief extract, is J. Dombrain, Esq., Inspector-General of Coast-guard
in Ireland.
" Were you ever in the Island of Achill officially ?
Several times.
In the course of the last two years ?
I was there last summer and the year before.
Did you visit the Protestant settlement there ?
I did.
In what state did you find it ; was it in a state different from the rest of
the island, or like the rest of the island ?
Very different from the rest of the island.
Was it in a state inferior or superior ?
Very superior.
In what respect ?
Generally superior in respect of industry and cultivation ; it had superior
buildings, and everything that would stamp an appearance of civilization
in a very remote district.
As far, therefore, as appeared to you, it would be a great blessing to the
island, if the example so set could be followed through that island ?
Decidedly."
Such, Sir, was the sworn testimony of Mr. Dombrain. — Not less
decisive is the evidence of another witness, Francis Reynolds, Esq.,
chief officer of coast-guard, who was examined before the same Com-
mittee.
246 CORRESPONDENCE, &C.
" How long have you been in Achill ?
I have been in Achill this last time six years.
Had you ever been there before ?
I had, for three years.
What interval was there between the two times of residence ?
About three years.
You were, therefore, there when Mr. Nangle came in 1 834 ?
I was.
Did you see any improvement produced in the island ?
I did ; I saw great improvement in the cultivation of the land, and also
in having schools for the instruction of the children.
Did the people testify any feeling toward Mr. Nangle at that time?
They always appeared to me at the time to be very fond of Mr. Nangle,
and to like him very much.
When were the first indications of a different feeling towards Mr. Nan-
gle?
When the priest gave orders to shout after the protestants whenever they
saw them."
This evidence needs no comment. * * * *
The allusion to Mr. Long, in the article which has called forth
these remarks, induces me to believe that it was written by an English
tourist, who paid a hasty visit to this island last summer. 1 think
his name was Newman. I accompanied that gentleman and the Rev.
William Prior Moore, Head Master of the College of Cavan, who
was then at the settlement, to Mr. Long's, and I shall now detail the
whole of the conversation, from which the writer in your Magazine
has selected so much as suited his purpose.
As we walked across the mountain, I remarked, that a system of
petty thieving prevailed generally in Ireland, to an extent which, ope-
rated as a check on the expenditure of capital for the improvement of
the country ; and I attributed the prevalence of this evil to the Romish
doctrine, which teaches that a sum, amounting to some shillings, may
be stolen from a gentleman without the guilt of mortal sin.
When we arrived at Mr. Long's, the English tourist asked him
whether he had suffered much from petty depredation. He replied
in the negative. I remarked that that could readily be accounted for,
as he lived in the centre of a large tract of land, where there was not
a single human habitation within a mile of him. To this Mr. Long
assented, at the same time remarking, that he was further secured
against depredation, by there being no thoroughfare through the valley
in which his house was situated ; but, added Mr. Long, notwithstand-
ing these peculiar securities, / have a man suynmoned at this moment,
for cutting my grass. Here the conversation ended : Mrs. Long
then came into the room, and without knowing the subject of our
previous conversation, she began to speak about the coast-guards in the
next village, saying that they complained sadly that they could not
have a garden, ybr such a systeyn of thieving 'prevailed in the village,
that their neighbours would not leave them so much as a cabbage.
I immediately told our English tourist to note that. It seems, how-
ever, that my admonition was unheeded ; this unsectarian and U7ip-
olitical gentleman, in the plenitude of his liberality, was detennine
CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 247
to shut his eyes and close his ears against every fad which did not
square with his preconceived theory.
Permit me further to remark, that if the writer of the article in
your Magazine means to say that I described the Achill islanders as
sinners above the rest of their countrymen, he grievously misrepre-
sents my sentiments. I believe that all men, whether they be Papists
or nominal Protestants, if unconverted and unregenerated, are alike
sinners before God. Without at all infringing on this truth, I admit
that some men are naturally more gentle and tractable as regards their
intercourse with their fellow-men, than others ; and I have always
given the Achill people credit for a large share of this animal amiability ;
indeed, I never experienced anything but kindness from them, until
their passions were kindled by the inflammatory harangues of their
priests ; since then we have lived in an element of violence and out-
rage, many of us have suffered personal violence, and one has been
murdered. I allude to Mr. Reynolds, whose testimony I have quoted
in a former part of this letter. We, however, do not repine. I trust
we can say of our persecutors, in the forgiving spirit of our blessed
Master, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
The establishment entrusted to my superintendence being depend-
ant for support upon the voluntary contributions of the christian pub-
lic, I trust that a sense of justice will constrain you to publish this
reply to the misrepresentations put forth by the writer in your Maga-
zine, which, if uncontradicted, might tend materially to diminish its
claims upon their benevolent assistance.
I am. Sir,
Your faithful Servant,
EDWARD NANGLE.
To the Editor of the ' Mag. Nat. Hist.'
[When our correspondent, Mr. Newman, in his " Notes on Irish Natural
History" incidentally alluded to the * Settlement' at Achill, we knew no-
thing of the nature of that establishment, and consequently we did not
foresee that the wish expressed in reference to " unpolitical philanthro-
pists, &c." involved anything like a reflection iipon the institution carried
on under Mr. Nangle's superintendence. The reasons assigned by the
writer have induced us to give insertion to the present letter, but we can-
not find room for any further discussion upon the morality of the people
Why an anonymous correspondent should have taken the trouble to send
Mr. Nangle an extract from our pages, but have left it to his ingenuity to
guess who might be the writer of that extract, is a matter we don't quite
understand. We have shortened the communication, but in so doing have
omitted nothing of importance to the legitimate object of the writer. — Ed.]
Dublin Natural History Society. — Extract of a letter from the
Secretary to the Editor, dated April 20, 1840. — " It has often
occurred to me, that the Natural History of Ireland had been wo-
fully neglected, there being no public collection of it in Dublin,
nor any place where young men interested in its investigation could
Vol. IV.— No. 41. N. s. 2g '
248 CORRESPONDENCE, &C.
meet. The Dublin Society (I presume), regarded this as a mat-
ter of less importance than the pursuit of other branches of science ;
and besides, the expense ^f becoming a member of that body was
very considerable. Under these circumstances, a new Society ap-
peared to me to be the only way of supplying the deficiency, and in
March, 1838, with the aid of my friends, the Rev. B. J. Clarke
and R. R. Williams, Esq., the Dublin Natural History Society was
ushered into the world. You may easily imagine the difficulties we
had to contend with, through evil report, and through good report, we
have carried on the Society step by step, until it has attained a degree
of prosperity we never thought of arriving at, and I am sure, little
expected by those who were opposed to us at first. Its objects are,
the forwarding of the Natural History of Ireland exclusively, as we
consider, that while engaged in this, the Society will be of real import-
ance ; while, were we to merge into the more ample field of foreign
productions, we should be insignificant. The above object we have
endeavoured to bring about, by making a standard collection of the
natural productions of the island, and by having evening meetings,
where papers relative to it may be discussed. Our collection, by the
kindness of the members, is already far advanced : the conchological
part, the most so of any : Mr. Warren having presented 140 differ-
ent species of the marine shells, and the Rev. B. J. Clarke, nearly all
the land and fresh -water shells of Ireland. The sun-fish, too, is a
great source of attraction, from its curious appearance. The ornitho-
logical part of the museum is rapidly increasing, and altogether, our
collection is in a very fair way. At any rate, when a stranger comes
to Dublin now, he may be shown something of the natural produc-
tions of Ireland, a thing formerly out of his power to see, except in
private collections. Among the papers that have been read, there has
been much interesting matter ; a paper on the sun-fish, by my friend
Dr. Bellingham, I believe is sent to your Magazine for publication.
Our finances (the most important point), are flourishing, for, though
our subscription is only £l. we had, at the last quarter, a balance of
£80 in the Treasurer's hands. The number of our members is 220.
Altogether, from the nationality of our objects, — from the papers that
are read often being interspersed with popular lectures, — from the
good feeling that exists among our members, — I firmly and con-
scientiously believe, no society in Dublin has so much hold on pub-
lic opinion ; and supported as we are by members of most of the other
scientific bodies of the metropolis, sanctioned by the University, whose
respected head is one of our members, and who has borne most ample
testimony to our efficiency and utility, and encouraged by all who
wish well to our national institutions. I cannot but look forward to
a continued course of prosperity." — Henry H. Dombrain.
Mr. Denny s forthcoming work on the Anoplura. — You are
aware, doubtless, of the work I have in hand : to procure the insects
for illustrating which, has cost me above 12 years : and though I have
been assisted by friends in various parts of the kingdom, with speci-
mens of the lice of quadrupeds and birds, still there are several which
I have never been able to procure. When I first began seriously to
DESCRIPTIONS OF CKYPTOCEPHALI. 249
think of publishing, I considered that about 100 species, (which is
20 more than Mr. Stephens' gives in his Systematic Catalogue),
would be as many as I should get. I have now, however, made
drawings of 173 species, which occupy 22 plates; besides which, I
have several still by me to figure, which have occurred since, so that
with these, and some others 1 am in search of, I shall not be surprised
if I reach 200 species : whether, however, I am in the end enabled to
publish, is a mystery, as my expenses for each copy will be consider-
ably above the price fixed, £1. Is. Standish, who coloured Curtis's
Entomology, estimates the colouring of the plates alone, that is, the
173 species, to amount to 16s. 6d. per copy; and I have many other
items to add. — Do you think that out of your numerous correspon-
dents you could induce any of them to send me the Hce I am most in
want of, (that is supposing such fell in their way) ? Whether they are
from British examples of the animals, birds, &c., or from continental
ones, is of no moment, as the same species will have the same kinds
of parasite all over Europe. The specimens might be sent in a letter
very easily. VV hat I want most are the Uce of the hare, otter, hedge-
hog, squirrel, pine marten, mole, shrew, dormouse, fox, seal, rat, mouse,
bat, red deer, roebuck, — bustard, black stork, crane, roller, golden
oriole, Cornish chough, bee-eater, little bittern, quail, pratincole, ger
falcon, merlin, eagle owl, little owl, scops owl, northern diver, great
auk, little auk, avocett, stilt plover, little bustard : — most of these are
so rare that there is little hopes of obtaining them, still specimens
might occur, upon which, if any friend would search, he might be able
to do me an essential service, as after so long a time spent upon the
subject, I am extremely anxious to render my work (whether publish-
ed by myself or a bookseller), as perfect as possible. I have received
very great assistance from Mr. Selby, Sir Wm. Jardine, Rev. L. Je-
nyns, Mr. Thompson of Belfast, "Mr. Tweedy of Truro, — ^but still
you will see that it is exceedingly difficult to get the materials for
such a monograph as I meditate. Many of the above lice might be
found, I am sure, by searching dried skins of the animals ; as I have
detected several upon birds in oiu: museum, which had remained under
the leathers for many years. Professor Burmeister of Halle informed
me a few days since in a letter, that he is also engaged upon a thick
4to vol. on the Epizoica. — Henry Denny. — Philosophical Hall,
Leeds, Jan. 21th 1840.
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.
Descriptions of eight new Cryptocephali, captured near St.
John's Bluff, E. Florida, hy Edward Doubleday, Esq.
Sp. 1. Cryp.bivius. Antennae fuscsB, basi ferrugineae : caput ferrugineum,
macula suboculari albida : prothorax albidus, lineis 4 longitudinalibus,
puncto laterali, marginibusque nigerrimis : elytra dorso ferruginea, la-
*250 HOOPOE SHOT IN PEMBROKESHIllF,.
terihus alhida, maculis 10 margineque postico nigris : abdomen pedes-
que pallida ferruginea, (Corp. long. 2 unc. lat. -125 unc.)
Sp, 2. Cri/p. larvatus. Antennae fuscce, basi testaceae : caput nigrum, fas-
cia sinuata medio interrupta verticali, altera sub oculis, labroque flavi-
dis : prothorax flavidus, maculis 2 punctiformibus nigris : elytra flavida
uterque maculis 3, quarum 2 basalibus, 1 discoidali, nigris siguatus;
sutura margineque laterali fere ad basin quoque nigris : abdomen ni-
grum, lateribus, macula mesosterni utrinque, podiceque flavidis ; pedes
flavidi. (Corp. long. "25 unc. lat. -15 unc.)
Sp. 3. Cri/p. lautus. Antennae fuscae, basi pallidae : caput, prothorax, ab-
domen et pedes ferruginea: elytra nigra, maculis 16 niveis; striata, striis
profunde punctis. (Corp. long. -175 unc. lat. *! unc.)
Sp. 4. Cryp. limhatua. Antennae piceae: caput profunde punctum, nigrum,
macula antica oculorumque marginibus albidis : prothorax profunde
punctus, niger, margine laterali albido : elytra rugose et irregulariter
puncta, miniata, macula dorsali communi nigra : abdomen et pedes ni-
gra. (Corp. long. 17 unc. lat. -09 unc.)
Sp. 5. Cryp. mammifer. Antennae nigrae, basi piceae : caput nigrum, ma-
cula suboculari, gensB et clypeus albida : prothorax glaberrimus, aterri-
mus, linea submarginali antica et laterali, maculis quoque 2 dorsalibus
albidis : elytra striata, striis rugose et profunde punctis, aterrima, macur
la laterali alteraque apicali croceis : caetera nigra, prosterno tuberibus 3
mammiferibus albidis ornato. (Corp. long. '2 unc. lat. *125 unc.)
Sp. 6. Cryp. geminatus. Antennae fuscae : caput ferrugineum, oculorum
marginibus albidis : prothorax ferrugineus, marginibus nigris, lineaque
submarginali albida : elytra nigra, utriusque lineis 4 longitudinalibus
albidis ; Ima dorsalis distincta, 2da obscura, interrupta, 3a 4aque sub-
marginales conjunctae: abdomen ferrugineum : femora ferruginea; tibiae
et tarsi nigra. (Corp. long. -15 unc. lat. •! unc.)
Sp. 7. Cryp. lixus. Antennae testaceas, apice fuscescentes: caetera testacea,
vittis vix distinctis, prothoracis elytrorumque communibus 4 luteolis:
elytra striata, striis profunde punctis. (Corp. long. "14 unc. lat. '08 unc.)
Sp. 8. Cryp. luteolus. Antennae luteolae, apice fuscescentes ; oculi nigri :
elytrorum macula minuta humerali, altera subapicali, strigaque antica,
discoidali, brevi, nigris; caetera luteola: elytra glaberrima, 8-striata,
striis profunde punctis. (Corp. long. '14 unc. lat. -08 unc.) \
Edward Newman, April 14, 1840.
Hoopoe taken at Fishguard, Pembroke. — It may be mat-
ter of interest to your ornithological correspondents to know
that a Hoopoe was shot by Mr. James Bowen, at Llwyngwair,
near Newport in Pembrokeshire, on the 6th of this month, and
is now in the possession of Dr. Rowland, 57, Wimpole Street,
London. It came into the drawing-room at Llwyngwair, ap-
peared tame, and was observed to take its food in the peculiar
manner mentioned in your Maguzine, vol. ii. p. ^9Q. The
last shot in this neighbourhood on record, is that mentioned
in Fenton's History of Pembrokeshire, page 17. — Henry
McLauchlan, F.G.S.— Fishguard, March 24th, 1840.
THE MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
JUNE, 1840.
Art. I. — View of the Fauna of Brazil, anterior to the last Geologi-
cal Revolution. By Dr. Lund.
(Continued from page 2X3.)
Second Order, ACLEIDOTA.
First Family, Ruminantia.
Without doubt, one of the most remarkable phenomena con-
nected with the geographical distribution of the class of Mam-
malia, is to be found in the very unequal apportionment of
the genera of ruminants in the warmer regions of the two
great continents. While Africa and Asia possess all the
several genera belonging to this family, the new world pos-
sesses only one of its members, ^. e. the genus Cervus, together
with the single sub-group of Camelus. The latter being
entirely confined to the mountain chain of the western coast,
there remains only the single genus Cervus for the whole
vast extent of the South American plains, with their subordi-
nate ranges of hills. This poverty of genera in the family
Ruminantia, did not characterize the ancient fauna of this
region ; for besides the genus Cervus, I have discovered two
others belonging to that period. The fossil remains that I
possess of the genus Cervus, may be referred to two species,
of which one is about the size of Cervus simplicicornis. 111.,
the other, nearer to Cerv. campestris. The genus Antilope
has left remains of one species, Aiit. Maquinensis, as large
as a buck, with short bow-shaped horns, curved backwards.
It was a gregarious animal, like its congener, which is now
Vol. IV.— No. 42. n. s. 2 h
252 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
confined to the old world. For a further description of this
animal, and a drawing of its cranium^ I must refer to my
paper on the cave of Maquine.
Of the genus Camelus, I possess the remains of two spe-
cies ; one exceeding a horse in size, the other a little less.
To which of the two sub-groups of this genus the fossils
belong, that is, whether to the modern inhabitant of the warm
regions of the old world, Camelus, 111., or to that now found
in the chain of the Andes, Auchenia, 111., my insufficient
means of comparison will not allow me to decide.
I conclude this family with a small group that does not
exactly coincide with any one of its existing genera. This
genus, which, in the lightness of its form, rivals the most
agile of the antelope tribe, departs far from that group in the
details of its structure, as also from the goat, sheep, ox, and
camel. In some isolated points, it approaches the genus Cer-
vus, while in others, it differs from it more than do any rumi-
nants from each other. I propose the name oi Leptotherium
for this extinct genus, of which I possess the remains of two
species, one less than the roe, the other bigger than the stag
\^^ crown-hart ?"J. If, now, we take a comparative view of
the genera and species of this family, in the former and pre-
sent periods, we must remark, in the first place, the much
greater abundance of generic forms that distinguished the
ancient creation, inasmuch as their numbers are in the pro-
portion of four to one. Of these four, Leptotherium is en-
tirely extinct : with regard to the genus Camelus, I have
already observed, that the insuflSciency of my means of com-
parison prevents me from deciding whether the fossil species
belong to those of the old world, or to the sub-group of
this continent. But, if T might be allowed to venture a
speculation on this subject, I should declare for the latter
opinion, on the strength of a rule which we shall, in the se-
quel, see confirmed by many examples, namely, that the ani-
mal species of the ancient world exceeded in size the corre-
sponding species of the existing races : and we have seen
that the fossil species of Camelus are considerably inferior
to those of the old continent, while they somewhat surpass
those of the new world.
In regard to the genus Antilope, it is well known, that in our
times, the warmer portions of Africa and Asia constitute its
dwelling-place. At the same time I must observe, that one
of the latest travellers in Chili, M. Gay, believes that he has
recognized a species of antelope, in the descriptions given
him by the natives, of an animal that inhabits the inacces-
sible regions of the Andes. Should this supposition prove
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 253
correct (at which we should not be surprised, when we
remember that other animals, more likely to attract man's
attention, such as the tapir and the bear, had escaped the
observation of naturalists, in those very same mountains,
until a very recent period), we are then brought back to
this remarkable result, that two genera, which are at present
restricted to the highest chain of the South American coast,
were in the age of our fossil remains extended over its plains.
The discovery of an animal form, now usually considered
as peculiar to the old world, among the purely American
forms such as the extinct fauna of this quarter has hitherto
produced, being a fact of great importance, I thought it
right to allude to this novel information, while I reserve my-
self from giving any positive judgment, until farther en-
quiries shall have enabled M. Gay to verify or disprove this
report.
But not only the number of genera, but also the total
amount of species, was greater in those days, than now.
There are now iive species (all as before mentioned belonging
to the genus Cervus) that inhabit this district : while 1 al-
ready reckon seven species of the four fossil genera. The
great number of species which the genus Cervus now con-
tains within this region, inclines us to suspect that our know-
ledge of the fossil species is very far from being complete.
The circumstance of these animals living solitary, or at most
in small herds, together with their rapidity of flight, secures
them from the attacks of predatory beasts, much more than
animals that either live in large societies, like the cloven-
footed, or which are bad runners, as the Tardigrada ; and this
accounts for our finding their remains so seldom in the caves
of wild beasts, in comparison with those of the other classes.
Therefore, as the main result of our enquiry respecting this
family, we see that of the four genera of which it was com-
posed in that former period, only one still continues to exist
in this same district ; two must be sought for in the higher
chain of the Andes (or perhaps only in the warmer zones of
the Old World), and finally, one has entirely disappeared
from the surface of the earth.
Second Family, Pachydermata.
This family at present contains only two genera belonging
to Brazil ; the tapir, with one species, and the peccari (Dico-
tyles) with two. I am in possession of fossil bones, which evi-
dently belong to the first genus ; but they are too imperfect
t ) determine their relation to the recent animal.
254 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
Among the immense quantity of remains referrible to the
latter genus, I can make out at the least four species, very
distinct from each other, and equally so from the two recent
species, one of the fossil nearly doubling in size either of
the recent.
But it seems that a third genus of this family formerly
inhabited this district. I have found the dorsal vertebrcB of
a large animal, which, both in form and size, agree with
those of the elephant. The peculiar shape of these bones
renders it impossible to confound them with those of any
other large animal belonging to either the extinct Tardi-
grada, or to the existing Pachydermata. At the same time,
as I am aware that the bones of the Mastodon have been
discovered in Brazil, and as I have not the means of ascer-
taining how nearly the vertebrae of this animal resemble
those of the elephant, I am willing for the present to sup-
pose the fossils I have found may belong to the Mastodon ;
partly because I do not wish to insert any doubtful animal in
this catalogue ; and partly because I feel it would be wrong
to build so important an hypothesis as the former existence
of the elephant in South America, upon any but the surest
foundation. I should, perhaps, remark, that the bones I have
hitherto obtained of this animal, differ in their external ap-
pearance from all the other fossil bones I possess : and rather
resemble the partly decomposed bones of the recent period.
They are also the only bones that have not been dug out of
the diluvial soil of the caves, under my own eyes; but were
found lying loose upon it. It will be remembered that I have
endeavoured to account for this circumstance in a previous
part of my communication ; to which I therefore refer.
We thus see that the family Pachydermata was richer
formerly than now, both in genera and species, and also that
it appeared under more colossal forms.
Third Family, Ferm.
At the head of this family naturally stands the genus Felis,
which, notwithstanding the number of its species, yet con-
stitutes one of the most natural and best defined genera in
the whole class of Mammalia. The himting leopard (Fells
jubata, Linn., Cynailurus, Wagl.), which differs from the
rest of the Fetes in many essential characters, has very pro-
perly been formed into a separate genus. Its claws are not
retractile ; it is gregarious, and of a mild disposition, so
much so, that it is frequently tamed, and employed in the
chase. But as a remarkable contrast to this, its dental sys-
tem is upon a more murderous plan than that of the true
t
(A
c<^
4
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 255
Feles, not possessing the flat projection on the large tearing
molar of the upper jaw, which is found in all the other pre-
daceous genera, and the development of which is in inverse
proportion to the animal's carnivorous propensities. I have
recognized this form of dentition in a small animal of the
extinct Fauna of this region, which does not exceed the
domestic cat in size ; and which, for that reason, I call Cy-
nailurus minuta. Besides this, I have discovered the re-
mains of two species of the normal feline form ; one as large
as the long-tailed tiger-cat [Felis macroura, Pr. Max.), the
second, larger than the jaguar, [Felis Onga, Lin.), and
comparable to the largest species of the old world, the tiger
and the lion. The genus Canis, at present comprises two
species in this district ; of which one (Canis Azarce) resem-
bles our fox in size, form, and habits ; while the other (the
Guara, Canis jubatus), differs more from its congeners. Its
extraordinarily high legs, and halting gait, exhibit a resem-
blance to the Hgcena, which, however, its timid disposition
does not bear out. In like manner, I have found traces of
two species of this genus, among my fossil remains. One
of them [Canis protalopex), evidently belongs to the sub-
group of Vulpes, although the fragments I have as yet ob-
tained are not sufficient to determine its exact relation to the
living species. The other [Canis troglodytes), belongs to
the more carnivorous division of wolves and jackals. The
far greater lightness of its extremities distinguishes it well
from the Guara, and brings it nearer to the European wolf,
from which, however, it differs in its longer and w^eaker neck,
a character that again approximates it to the Guara. It was
equal to either of them in size, and committed fearful havoc
among the antediluvian inhabitants of these regions, whose
remains are found amassed together in the caves that served
for its den. Scarcely less frightful were the ravages com-
mitted by another predatory animal, not much bigger than
our fox ; which, in general character, much resembles the
jackal division of the genus Canis, but differs from all of that
class in the more powerful development of its dental system,
and the absence of the hindmost tuberculated molar in the
under jaw. Its principal food consisted of the various spe-
cies of Paca, to which latter genus belongs that enormous
quantity of bones I have described in my account of the
cavern of Cerca Grande. For this remarkable animal (which
may be considered as a sub-genus of Canis, in like manner
as Cynailurus may be regarded a sub-genus of Felis), I pro-
pose the name of Speothos, or jackal of the caves; and for
the species here described, which is the only one I hitherto
256 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
know, I offer the specific name pacivorus, from the animal
that formed its chief prey.
There is a small group of Ferm, peculiar to South Ame-
rica, called by the Brazilians Eirara, which forms a passage
between the Digitigrada and Plantigrada, and serves to
unite the genera Gulo and Mustela.^ There are two species
known of this sub-genus, which is hitherto without any sys-
tematic name ; and whose species have therefore been classed
by some with Gulo, by others with Mustela : — Viverra vit-
tata, and Mustela harhata of Linnaeus ; which latter, how-
ever, in consequence of an original error in the printing, is
now generally called harbara. Another genus, Nasua, at
present confined to this continent, existed also here in the
former period. I possess the remains of one species, but too
imperfect to decide, on its relation to existing species.
But the most remarkable animals that frequented this dis-
trict in ancient times, are the two I next proceed to describe,
the bear and the hyaena ; both of which are now lost to its
Fauna. The fossil Brazilian bear {Ursus Brasiliensis), is
far inferior to the gigantic species whose remains occur in
the European caves ; and must even be classed among the
smaller kinds of the existing race, though it is distinguished
by its massive build. On the contrary, the fossil Brazilian
hyaena {Hgcena neogced), will rank with the largest recent
species ; although even in this respect, it must yield to those
monsters of this same genus, whose relics have been found
so abundantly in the caves of the old world. If we now
compare the genera of this family, with reference to the two
epochs under our view, we find that of the five which now
inhabit this district, viz. Felis, Cams, Lutra, Nasua, and
Eirara (for I am compelled to use this for want of any proper
systematic name), four have been already discovered to belong
to the more ancient period. Lutra is, therefore, the only one
of which I have hitherto found no remains. But this may
easily be explained, without concluding that the genus was
entirely wanting to the antediluvian Fauna of Brazil. The
otter neither frequents caves itself, nor is it likely to become
the prey of beasts that do so : it is, therefore, not to be won-
dered at that we do not at once discover this form, at the
very first glance we cast over these fossils. We may. there-
fore, consider ourselves justified in assuming that the former
system of animal creation in these parts, contained all the
genera of the Feres we find occurring there at the present
day. But we have seen that in addition to these, the
previous system possessed four other forms that do not now
' Galietis of Prof. T. Ball. See 'Zool. Trans, of Lond.' v. ii. p. 201.— Ed.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 257
exist ; of which two [Cynailurus and Speothos) may be con-
sidered sub-genera of Felis and Canis, while the other twOj
bear and hyaena, constitute proper genera. Thus the propor-
tion of genera between the former and the present period, is
as eight to fixe. Again, of the five existing genera, three,
namely, Felis, Cams, and Lutra, are common to both conti-
nents ; but Nasua and Eirara are peculiar to the new world.
The presence, therefore, of these two last genera among the
fossil Fauna, supplies one more link in support of the propo-
sition 1 have already laid down, that the animal world was
framed upon the same plan in the former epoch, as now.
Of the four fossil genera not now found in America, Cy-
nailurus and Speothos have each a living representa-
tive in the warm regions of the old world. Already in our
examination of Ruminantia, we are made acquainted with
a genus belonging to the extinct creation of this continent,
the antelope, which at least seemed to present a similar con-
nection ; but at the same time, as there remained some room
for doubt, I would not ground so important a result on an
indefinite fact. So also with reference to the examples I
have just produced, doubts may be entertained as to these
geographical relations ; partly, because the equivalent forms
are only to be considered as sub-genera ; and partly, because
it may be supposed, that from the great external resemblance
which the first ( Cynailurus), undoubtedly bore to the true genus
Felis, we may possibly hereafter discover its peculiar dental
system in some one or other of the less known existing spe-
cies of Felis on this continent. It is, therefore, better to
abstain from any positive decision on the subject at present ;
the rather, as the history of the next genus I am about to de-
scribe, shows the necessity of caution in grounding results
on negative evidence. The bear was believed, until within a
few years, in spite of Molina's account, to be peculiar to the
old world and North America : later discoveries, however,
have proved that at least one, if not several species, inhabit
the mountains of Peru and Chili. The latter are distinguished
from the others of their race by their inferior size : and as
we have seen that the fossil Brazilian bear exhibits the same
proportions, I consider this latter as nearer related to that of
the Andes, than to that, either of the old world or of North
America. Thus in this genus, we have a confirmation of
the supposition we hazarded respecting the antelope, which
affords another example of that very remarkable geographi-
cal relation, that the Andes now possess the representatives
of several animal forms, which, in ancient times extended
over the elevated plains of South America. The constant
258 VIEW OF THE EXTINCT FAUNA OF BRAZIL.
repetition of this singular fact might almost tempt one to
ask, whether it be not possible that the last genus that re-
mains to be described, the hyaena, may not be similarly cir-
cumstanced ? I must, however, observe, that however well
founded such a supposition may appear, when it regards an
animal like the antelope, whose timidity and shyness with-
draw it from the neighbourhood of man, and whose speed
and activity enable it to distance all pursuit, it loses its force
when it regards an animal whose habits incline it rather to
seek man's proximity ; and whose voracity and fearlessness
at the same time render it so bad a neighbour, that its exist-
ence can scarcely remain unobserved. The existence, there-
fore, of the hyaena, in that ancient period to which our fossils
belong, is a phenomenon that fairly authorizes the conclusion,
" that the last extinct, and so remarkably rich a Fauna, which
inhabited the elevated plains of tropical South America,
among its great abundance of peculiar American forms, con-
tained also some which are now confined to the old world."
If we compare the relative numbers of species of this
family in the two periods, it is true that the list of fossil spe-
cies will not be so numerous as that of the recent ; but we
ought not, on that account, to conclude that the family of
Fer(B w^as poorer in species formerly than now, as will ap-
pear evident from the following considerations, and which
are equally applicablevto the next family. All the remains
which I have as yet obtained of the extinct Fauna of this
continent, have been disinterred from caves, and belong
partly to the predatory beasts which lived there, and partly
to the animals which served them for food, and which were
dragged in by them either entire or piecemeal. We could not,
therefore, expect to find in these receptacles of the bones of
their prey, the remains of such animals as either their nature
or habits withdrew more or less from the attacks of the larger
beasts. All the above described animals are those which
form the regular food of the larger predaceous classes; whence
we find their bones very abundant in these dens. But it is
a very different case with the smaller Ferce. The sharpness
of their senses keeps them away from danger ; and the va-
rious retreats they all possess, such as the tops of trees, or
holes underground, or, as in the otter's case, the water, pro-
tect them from almost any pursuit of the larger beasts,
which at once accounts for the extreme rarity of their bones
in these situations. If we give due weight to these consider-
ations, and at the same time remember the great proportional
number of species we have already found at the very first
glimpse we have cast over this antediluvian Fauna (there
ON THE COLOUR OF THE RIVER SPONGE. 259
being only three wanting to equal the amount of existing
species), I think most surely, that every one will rather be
led to the opposite conclusion, that the number of species
was greater in that former period than in the present. With
respect to the number of genera, we have already proved
this position to a certainty, and we may, therefore, conclude
that this family presents the same condition as all those pre-
viously described, namely, that it was richer both in genera
and species, in former geological periods, than now.
(To he continued.)
Art. II, — On the Action of Light upon the Colour of the River
Sponge.' By John Hogg, M.A., F.R.S., L.S., C.P.S., &c.. Late
Fellow of St Peter's College, Cambridge.
Having for several years past observed many variations in
the colour of different specimens of the river sponge [Spon-
gilla Jiuviatilis)^ (1*) although growing in, or inhabiting the
same rivulet, and during the same season of the year, I was
at first led to attribute the difference of age as the most pro-
bable cause of those variations. But a circumstance oc-
curred to me in the summer of 1837, which has indisputably
afforded the true cause of this variation in colour ; and, as
I consider it to be of great interest, I do not hesitate to pub-
lish a notice of that circumstance, and of the experiments
instituted by me, as w^ell towards its elucidation as towards
its full and direct confirmation.
The circumstance alluded to is this : during August 1837,
whilst searching for some good specimens of the Spongilla
Jlaviatilis, which is not unfrequent in a rivulet of beautifully
clear water at Norton, in the county of Durham, for the pur-
pose of making observations on its supposed animal nature,
I dragged from the bottom of the stream a flat piece of tile,
having a patch of sponge growing upon its upper surface, of
a bright green colour, and also another patch of the same
species growing to its under surface, but which was of a pale
brown, or sand colour, and not in the least tinged with green.
* Read before the Royal Society, June 21st. 1838, and communicated
to the ' Mag. Nat. Hist.' by the author. This paper is noticed at p. 457,
vol. 13, of the ' Philosophical Magazine,' also in the ' Bibliotheque Uni-
verselle' de Geneve, p. 207, tom. 19, where it is entitled " De Paction de
la lumiere sur la couleur de I'eponge de riviere." See also vol. 4, p. 72,
Proceedings of the Royal Society.
2 The numerals refer to notes at the end of the paper.
Vol. IV.— No. 42. ns. 2 i
260 ON THE ACTION OF LIGHT
Supposing then that the situations in which the two
patches of sponge were respectively placed, ( one being ex-
posed to the light, and the other deprived of it), formed the
real cause of the difference of colour in them, I took home the
tile in a vessel of water, and commenced the following
experiments, in order that I might, if possible, prove the
coiTectness or falsity of my conjecture.
On the 1 8th August, 1837, the day in which I obtained
the fragment of the tile, I lost no time in returning home
with it, carrying it in a vessel filled with water, very gently,
and with great caution, lest the living specimens of the
sponge should be in any way shaken, or broken, or otherwise
injured. I then placed the tile in a basin of fresh water, but
exactly reversed the position of the two patches of sponge,
that is to say, I put the underside of the tile with the pale
hrown piece of sponge growing to it uppermost, and exposed
it to the light in a window, where I allowed the whole rays
of the sun to enter and shine upon it ; and the original upper-
side of the tile, containing the green patch of sponge, of
course, then occupied the underside, and was almost entirely
deprived of light. I changed the water twice or thrice a
day, adding it fresh from the pump, and not rain water, or wa-
ter taken from a pond, or in any way intermixed (as far as I
could possibly ascertain), with any fresh vegetable or colour-
ing matter. After a couple of days, I thought the brown
piece of sponge began to assume a greenish tint, and the
green piece under the stone to lose, though in a less degree,
somewhat of its deep colour ; these appearances, after a few
days more, became distinctly manifest, and by the 29th
of August, the brown or sand-coloured patch of sponge had
changed to a bright grass-green, and the green patch on the
under surface of the tile had diminished in its gi'een
hue, and had approached to a hght grey. At length,
after the expiration of twenty days, the upper sponge had
much increased in depth of colour, and the lower one had
lost a good deal of its green, (2) and had changed to a light
brownish green, resembling, indeed, the colour of the patch
when originally growing to the underside of the tile, as I
had first observed it upon taking it out of the rivulet. Hence,
I conceived it to be evident, that the action of light directly
caused the green colour to be secreted in this sponge ; and
for the sake of corroborating this opinion, I subsequently
made these additional experiments.
A short time afterwards, I fished up by means of a wire-
gauze net fixed to the end of a rod, a large mass of the river
sponge fi'om the same rivulet ; this specimen was growing
UPON THE COLOUR OF THE RIVER SPONGE. 261
upon a stone ; it was somewhat lobed, but of a pale buff, or
yellowish-brown, and not unlike, in colour, the common offi-
cinal sponge when dry. It was entirely destitute of any
green tint, and was taken by me from the bottom of the
rivulet under the low and narrow arch of a small bridge,
where, in truth, the rays of the sun could, even on a
summer's day seldom or never penetrate. Having carried
home this mass in a vessel of water, I immediately placed
it in a basin of water, adding fresh daily, as I had done
in the former experiment, and put the basin in a window
facing the west, so that the sun might shine through the
glass fully upon it : after a short period, I saw the extre-
mities or tips of the lobes of the sponge begin to be slightly
coloured, and in a few days I had the satisfaction of ob-
serving the lobes to have received a distinct green, which
gradually commenced spreading over the lower portions of
the mass that were further apart from the direct and nearer
influence of the light. It was consequently apparent, that
the want of green colour in this mass proceeded from the
absence of light, at least, of a sufficient quantity of light,
in the original spot, underneath the low and dark arch, where
the specimen was found growing. (3) Another experiment will
also establish the fact, that light is requisite to increase the
green colour already received by this substance ; namely, I
procured a piece of greenish or very light-green sponge (4)
attached to a small stone, which I immersed in a dish of
water, and similarly placed it, as in the former experiments,
before the brightest light in the same window : the colour
continued to increase in intensity, until, at the end of three
weeks, it had become of a beautiful and dark emerald green.
Thus, then, from these observations, I think no doubt can
be entertained, that light is absolutely necessary, not only to
produce the green colouring matter in this kind of sponge,
but likewise to increase the intensity of the green itself, in
various degrees, in proportion as it i^more or less powerfully [5)
acted upon by the addition of the sun's rays.
Therefore the opinion advanced sometime since by Lamou-
roux, can no longer be considered tenable ; " leur couleur^''
says that eminent zoophytist, " est un vert plus ou moins
fonce, qui semble varier suivant la nature du corps auquel
elles adherent.''' ('Hist, des Polyp. Corall. Flex.,' p. 5).
Now, the influence of light upon the colouring matter of
this Spongilla, proved by the experiments shortly here de-
tailed, will strike every botanist as being precisely analogous
to the same cause, which effects the like phenomena, under
similar circumstances, on the stems and leaves of plants ;
and therefore, may have much weight in determining the true
262 ON THE ACTION OF LIGHT
nature of the river sponge. Every one knows that when it
is necessary to blanch vegetables, they are carefully concealed
from the light ; and when plants are grown in a dark place,
they are of a delicate white, or yellowish- white, and perfectly
devoid (6) of their natural green colour ; but which, on their
being exposed to the light, soon becomes conspicuous, and
after a short time the plants obtain their usual green. (7) So
also, with most flowers and fruits, their colours are more or
less bright and vivid, according as they are exposed to or
concealed from the sun ; and I have sometimes noticed, that
purple grapes (the Black Hamhurgh, for instance), on being
gathered and placed for a few days out of the light, in a dark
closet, apparently lose somewhat of their deep and rich
colour. I would, therefore, suggest that this remarkable and
peculiar (8) property of light, which causes, as well as in-
creases, the colours upon the several parts of plants, might be
appropriately termed, the chromatic action of light. Whilst,
on the contrary, from this action upon the colours of ani-
mals, no such effect is known to occur ; for with them a very
powerful light, such alone as is communicated by the most
luminous rays of the sun, has merely the effect of darkening,
or, as it is more commonly called, tanning the skin, and
9iot of causing any distinctly bright or new colours to ap-
pear. (9) Neither does any similarity herein exist (as far as I
am aware) with regard to the lower animals, that more nearly
approximate to plants, as the Animal-Jiowers, or Actinice ;
because, from much acquaintance with some of these singular
creatures, both from having observed them in their native
localities among the rocks of our sea shores, and from having
often kept them alive in glasses, for the sake of attentively
examining their structure and habits, I have never noticed
any difference between the colours of those which inhabit
deep holes underneath the rocks (10) about low- water mark,
that are thickly covered with the dark sea- weeds (Fucus ser-
ratus, and F. vesiculosus chiefly), and so concealed from the
light, and of others which adhere upon the surface of the
rocks, and are well exposed to the solar rays. Nor have I
been able to ascertain that the green colour in the common
green fresh-water Polype [Hydra viridis, Lin.) is ever found
to vary, or to become more or less manifest, by admission to, or
exclusion from, the light. [11) But it would be superfluous to
add any further examples of the same kind.
Some naturalists, even at the present day, are doubtful
respecting the real nature of the Spongilla, as well as of the
other SpongiadcB (if animals), or Spongiacece (if plants),
although the majority appear to decide in favour of their
UPON THE COLOUR OF THE RIVER SPONGE. 263
atmnality ; among those in the minority, I will mention a
very able botanist and zoologist, Dr. George Johnston, who,
in his essay on British Zoophytes, published in the " Maga-
zine of Zoology and Botany," states his view of these pro-
ductions in the following words : — " I cannot go the length of
Ellis, in considering it proved that sponges belong to the
same class [Zoophytes) ; Ellis, we have seen, knew that no
polypes were to be found in sponges.". ..."Now, this fact, in
my opinion, determines the point, for if they are not the pro-
ductions of Polypes, the zoologist who retains them in his
province, must contend that they are individually animals,
an opinion to which I cannot assent, seeing that they have
710 animal structure, or individual organs, and exhibit no one
function usually supposed to be characteristic of that king-
dom. Like vegetables, they are permanently fixed ; like
vegetables, they are non-irritable ; their movements, like those
of vegetables, are extrinsical and involuntary ; like crypto-
gamous vegetables, or Alg(B, they usually grow and ramify in
forms determined by local circumstances ; and if they present
some peculiarities in the mode of the imbibition of their
food, and in their secretions, yet even in these they evince a
nearer affinity to plants, than to any animal whatever." (12)
This author, therefore, restores the sponges " to the Vegetable
kingdom, to which the earlier naturalists (13) believed they had
a rightful claim." (14)
I will not here venture to give any express opinion^ whe-
ther the Spongilla be a vegetable or an animal production,
but will merely notify, that after many repeated and careful
observations I have hitherto entirely failed in perceiving any
individual and decided marks of its animality ; though, on
the contrary, the facts of the want and intensity oi ihe green
colour, (15) as in plants, being caused by the absence and pre-
sence of light, may afford strong evidence that might be very
fairly advanced more in favour of its being nearer allied to
the AlgcB or Fungi, and so belonging to the vegetable king-
dom. (16) Future observations will alone set at rest this du-
bious question in Natural History.
I am, however, most desirous that those naturalists who
reside near the sea-coasts, would ascertain whether light
does not cause ^m/Zfl^r effects on the colours {17) of the differ-
ent marine sponges, which, indeed, seems to me extremely
probable from the following statement : — " Je ne peux rien
dire de certain," observes M. Lamouroux, " sur la couleur
{des eponges), qui parait tres fugace et tres-variee ; d'apres
les auteurs qui les ont observees vivantes, les nuances qu'elles
presentent seraien£ nombreuses et brillantes ;" (18) and thus
264 ON THE ACTION OF LIGHT
would they afford other and not unimportant proofs, towards
a certain knowledge of these remarkable substances, and of
the true position which they occupy amongst the manifold
works of Nature.
NOTES.
(1) This species is the Spongilla friahilis (Lamarck) ;
EphydatiaJluviatilisiliaimouvouiL); Halichondriajluviatilis
(Fleming) ; and Spongia fluviatilis (Linnaeus).
(2) Having, in the summer of 1838, finished another expe-
riment on this head, I found, by placing some living speci-
mens of the Spongilla of different shades of green, — one of
which was a very deep green, — in a pan of water confined
to the dark, that the green colour gradually decreased, and
became much paler. I must also mention, that the colour
underneath all those specimens whose upper surfaces were
submitted to the full action of the light, continued to the
last perfectly greenless, by reason of the deprivation of
light.
(3) I have lately repeated the same experiment with success.
On March 20th, 1838, I obtained some small greenless spe-
cimens of the Spongilla from under the same arch, and after
the expiration of sixteen days, they had received a clear,
though rather pale green colour. This change took place in
the light of a window, at a season when the sun shone but
little, and when its illuminating rays had only a small de-
gree of power. I ought to state, that all the masses of river
sponge, on which the above observations were made, were
free from any moss, or other vegetable, by means of which
the green colouring matter might, perhaps, be supposed to
have been communicated to those specimens.
(4) I will take this opportunity of making known, that I
discovered in the summer of 1837 (August 24), among some of
the before-mentioned specimens of this Spongilla, the little
fresh-water Zoophyte called Tubularia repens by Gmelin,
Naisa repens, by Lamouroux, and Plumatella repens, by
Lamarck. I am not aware that it has ever before been found
in England, though Dr. Fleming gives the " Lochmill-loch,
Fife," in Scotland, as a locality for it. The elegant crystal-
line Polypes lived in great activity for several days. In
March, 1838, I again found a mass of these Poly paries : at
first, no Polypes were visible, and T, of course, fancied that
they were dead ; after three or four days, when the mass had
been placed in water in the window of a room in which there
was a fire during half the day only, two or three Polypes
UPON THE COLOUR OF THE RIVER SPONGE. 265
appeared, protruding themselves from the extremities of the
tubes ; but at the end of a fortnight, or rather longer, to my
surprise, the Polypes became extremely numerous, and exhi-
bited themselves in full life ; thus showing that in the win-
ter, or cold weather, these little animals are torpid or inactive,
and keep entirely within their tubular dwellings ; but, on the
return of spring, when the temperatures of the air and water
are again sufficiently warm^ they revive and become lively.
(5) The green in this Spongilla being increased by the
more powerful rays of light, as shown in the last-mentioned
experiment, affords a case extremely analogous to the results
of certain experiments made by Professor Daubeny on plants,
and which are stated by him in these words : — " from a few
experiments I have made on the secretion of green matter
in the leaves, I should be led to infer, in contradiction to the
results of Senebier, that the most luminous rays were most
influential ; the orange glass, whose chemical influence was
as four, whilst its illuminating power was as six, quickly im-
parting to the primordial leaves of beans which had just ap-
peared above ground, a bright green hue, whereas, under the
ammonio-sulphate, whose illuminating power was as two,
whilst its chemical influence was as five, they continued of
a pale yellow, scarcely indeed of a shade darker than in ano-
ther case where light was completely excluded. I have
made some experiments, with similar results, on the colours
of flowers, the intensity or depth of which appeared, also, to
depend on the brightness of the kind of light that had been
allowed admission to them." Again, the Professor observes,
— " Upon the whole, then, I am inclined to infer, from the
general tenor of the experiments I have hitherto made, that
both the exhalation and the absorption of moisture by plants,
so far as they depend upon the influence of light, are affected
in the greatest degree by the most luminous rays, and that
all the functions of the vegetable economy, which are owing
to the presence of this agent, follow, in that respect, the same
lawy — (See Professor Daubeny's paper, "on the Action of
Light upon Plants, &c." p. 158 and p. 163 in the Philoso-
phical Transactions for 1835).
(6) Captain Sir Edward Parry, in his North Polar voyages,
used to raise quantities of mustard and cress in his cabin, in
small shallow boxes filled with mould, and placed along the
stove-pipe, for the purpose of giving a salad to the scorbutic
patients, " the mustard and cress," he tells us, " thus raised,
were necessarily colourless, from the privation of light ; but,
as far as we could judge, they possessed the same pungent
aromatic taste, as if grown under ordinary circumstances." —
(p. 133, Parry's Journal of his first Voyage, 1821.)
266 ON THE ACTION OF LIGHT
(7) I need not detail here the experiments by which 1 be-
came convinced of the truth of the before-mentioned curious
results. One case, indeed, did not occur to me to try ; but
which is thus related by Dr. Daubeny : — " Professor De Can-
dolle found that the leaves of plants placed in a cellar became
green on exposure to a strong light from lamps.'"' — (See
'Phil. Trans.,' 1835, p. 161.) Mr. N. B. Ward, F.L.S., has
also kindly informed me, that from very recent experiments,
he has ascertained that crocuses, grown in a dark situation,
and submitted for about six hours every evening to the full
influence of gas light, secreted in their leaves their usually
bright green colour, and that the flower of one specimen
received a pale hlue. Another case I have commenced, but
not as yet satisfactorily advanced; namely, how far the
greenness in the leaves and other parts of vegetables at first
grown in the light, is fugacious, and liable to lose its depth
of colour on being afterwards excluded from the light, and
confined to total darkness.
(8) There can be no foundation, I think, for asserting that
heat, independent of light, possesses the like chromatic ac-
tion : because plants, when forced by artificial heat, but
deprived of light, are not invested with their green colour ;
and fruit, howsoever ripe it may be made by the high tem-
perature of a stove or hothouse, if concealed from the light
by many leaves, or in any other way, remains quite pale, and
never receives its proper and full tints. The same thing
likewise takes place with fruit, from which the light is exclu-
ded, when ripened by the heat of the sun.
(9) With many animals which have variable fur or plumage,
heat and cold, but not light, are the principal causes of their
variations in colour. In support of these facts, consult my
paper on the changes in the colour of the fur in the ermine,
at p. 718, vol. 5, ' Magazine of Natural History ;' and for
Capt. Ross's very conclusive experiment on this subject,
refer to Professor Bell's * British Quadrupeds,' p. 153.
(10) Notwithstanding that the Actinice are endowed with
the power of locomotion, I have watched some individuals
continue fixed in the same crevices of rocks for many suc-
cessive days, indeed, for a sufficient time to render any
change in their colours quite conspicuous.
(11) M. Trembley tried to communicate to the hrown Polgpe
{Hydra fusca), a green tint. Not having any water insect
of that colour, he had recourse to the green variety of the
rose louse {Aphis ros(B ?) Several Polypes devoured some
of those green lice, and after th^y had digested them, they
received a faint colouring of green ; {vide Mempires pour
UPON THE COLOUR OF THE RIVER SPONGE. 267
THist. des Polypes d'eau douce, p. 128). Now, the same
author has described the true cause of the changes in the
colours of the freshwater Polypes, thus, " Apres avoir nourri
pendant quelque terns des Polypes, j'eus lieu d'etre persuade,
que cette variete de couleur venoit, non seulement du plus ou
du moins de nourriture que je donnois a ces animaux, mais
aussi de la diversite de la couleur meme des alimens qu'ils
prennoient." (p. 126). Also, " les grains, qui se trouvent en
abondance dans la peau des Polypes, sont colores : c'est de
leur couleur que depend celle des Polypes ; et la leur depend
de celle du sue nourricier que ces animaux tirent des alimens
qu'ils prennent. Ces grains deviennent, par exemple, rouges
ou noirs, quand les Polypes ont ete nourris par un sue rouge
ou noir. lis ont des nuances, plus ou moins fortes, de ces
differentes couleurs, a proportion de la force de la nuance de
celle du sue nourricier, et a proportion de sa quantite. En-
fin, ils perdent peu-a-peu leur couleur, si on ne I'entretient, en
donnant de tems en terns des alimens de meme couleur aux
Polypes^ (p. 131). And again, " II est tres-aise de remar-
quer, que, lorsqu'un Polype a peu mange, et surtout lorsqu'il
a jeune, il n'y a que quelques couches de gi'ains, savoir, les
plus pres des parois de I'estomac, qui soient colorees : les
autres sont blanches, et forment cette enveloppe transparente,
gamie de grains non-colores." (p. 132.) So, Dr. George
Johnston writes of the Nereis viridis (Lin.), " when kept in
a vessel of sea- water, deprived of food, the greefi colour be-
comes less intense.'''' {' Annals Nat. Hist.,' vol. iv, p. 229).
(12) See * Mag. of Zoology and Botany,' vol. i. p. 229.
(13) Linnaeus at first classed the Spongilla in his * Flora
Lapponica' among the Cryptogamia Lithophyta ; then in
his 'Flora Suecica' (edit. 1755), and * Species Plan tarum,'
(edit. 1753), with the Cryptogamia Algw.
(14) See 'Magazine of Zoology and Botany,' p. 230.
(15) It may, perhaps, be objected, that the Spo?igilla,hemg
either an animal, or else a group of animals, had imbibed
for food certain green vegetable matter, and in accordance
with the facts proved by M. Trembley (see his Memoir,
p. 126 to p. 133), that the colours in the Hydrae, or fresh-
water Polypes, are caused by the substances they have swal-
lowed and digested, — that this green colour was, conse-
quently, derived from such vegetable matter ; but in the ex-
periments before described, tt was impossible that this could
have been the case ; because I carefully preserved the living
sand-coloured specimens of the river sponge in a basin of
pure and fresh pump-water, entirely apart from every vege-
table substance, until they had received their full greenness
from the solar light.
Vol. IV.— No. 42. n. s. 2 k
•2(J8 REMARKS ON THE
(16) From a series of experiments, and some of them the
same as those detailed in the preceding pages, which I have
again undertaken upon several masses of the Spongilla since
this paper was communicated to the Royal Society, I am now
obliged to confess, that I have no doubt whatever regarding
the vegetahility of this kind oi freshwater sponge.
(17) Chemistry will, I am sure, present us with some very
good tests whereby to decide the vegetability or animality of
the Spongice marincB ; and amongst other chemical re-
searches to be hereafter instituted, the application of acids
and alkalies to the colouring matter, or to the colours, when
expressed from many species which exhibit the brightest and
most brilliant tints, will tend, in a satisfactory manner, to-
wards the solution of that doubtful point.
(18) Vide ' Hist, des Polyp. Coral. Flex.,' p. 15. I find
that even in the Mediterranean Sea, the colours of the differ-
ent species of Spongia, when fresh and living, are exceedingly
bright and numerous ; among them the following may be
enumerated : — pale yellow, yellowish-white, white, red brown,
dark brown, red wine, rose-grey, reddish, violet, blue, sul-
phur, grey, yellow-grey, russet, pink or flesh-coloured, pur-
ple, chestnut, reddish-white, saffron-yellow, orange, coral red,
&c. See p. 371 — 380, tom. 5, 'Hist. Nat. des Principales
Productions de I'Europe Meridionale,' par A. Risso : Paris,
1826. And it may be interesting to add, that green is also a
colour observable in some of the sea sponges ; for example,
in the Spongia urceolus, of Lamouroux.
Temple y Loudon, May 9, 1840.
Art. III. — Remarks on the Lepidoptera of M'orth America, with
occasional descriptions of New Species ; being the result of nine-
teen months travel in the United States. By Edward Double-
day, Esq.
(Continued from page 2\Q.)
For about six miles from its mouth, the St. John's presents
on its shores little but snow-white sands, and dreary salt
marshes. A few low huts, the houses of the pilots, a light-
house, a hammock of dead trees,* a few starved-looking
cows (you wonder what they live on), two or three miserable
» Killed by being overflowed by the sea, in the gale of August, 1837.
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 269
palmettoes, their fronds all broken with the winds, are all
that relieve the monotony of the scene. And is this Florida ?
exclaims the traveller, who for the first time catches sight of
her shores, his head filled with imaginings drawn from her
name, and Bartram's strained description. Can this be Flo-
rida ? Was it here that Ponce de Leon sought the fountain
that, like the cauldron of Medea, was to bring back youth ?
Yes, this is East Florida, and the fountain of perpetual youth
is to be found in its delicious atmosphere, which revives the
invalid, even on these barren sands.
As you enter the river, however, you perceive two small
islands in its channel, clothed with live-oaks, and fringed
with lofty palmettoes, and beyond them, on the south side of
the river, the steep wood-covered slope of St. John's Bluff,
above which the river mostly runs between low wooded
banks, with here and there other bluffs of small elevation.
The highest, perhaps, of these bluffs, is St. John's, yet even
that is not more than about eighty feet high. On the east
it rises abruptly fi-om the salt marshes, and is clothed with
thick underwood, mingled with taller trees ; at the foot, is a
small creek fringed on one side with bushes of a species of
Lycium, and tall Yucccb. The northern side is nearly per-
pendicular, for the tide washes it away at its base, and the
sea-breeze, if, perchance, it blow stronger than common,
scatters far and wide the sands of which it is composed. The
vegetation on the summit, by slightly holding the earth toge-
ther there, makes that part the last to fall : but during my
stay, I was witness to the disappearance of more than one
large tree from the undermining of its roots by the winds and
waves. As is common in this part of the St. John's, beds of
oyster- shells occur at various elevations ; they appear to be-
long to the same species as the delicious ones which are as
abundant at the mouth of the river in a living, as these in a
dead, I can hardly say fossil, state, for they look just like the
scattered shells we see in the roads and fields around our
own habitations. On the summit of the bluff, especially
near to the river, are a great many Indian mounds, the burial-
places of a race, in all probability extinct before the white
man set foot here. As the face of the bluff crumbles away,
it exposes fragments of pottery, and sometimes bones, arrow-
heads, and stone battle-axes from these tombs. The pottery
is always in small fragments, rarely more than a few inches
wide. These appear to be portions of large round vases,
perhaps two feet in diameter. They are sometimes plain,
sometimes reticulated on the outside with raised lines, and
have evidently been subjected to intense heat.
270 REMARKS ON THE
To the south there is a gentle slope to the open pine-bar-
rens which extend in this direction beyond St. Augustine,
and westward, the slope too is gradual, until the banks of
the river are but little elevated above the water's edge. It
was just where the level ground commences on this side of
the blufl* that we made our home, in a large house originally
built for a boarding-house, but then only tenanted by a w4-
dow lady and two grandchildren, with the usual accompani-
ment of a variety of negroes of all ages, who, however, lived
in the yard close by. We were fortunate in obtaining an
introduction to Mrs. Smith (such was the name of our excel-
lent landlady), for nowhere else in East Florida could we have
found so comfortable a home. At this time, south of Man-
darin, there w^as no safety, a foe
" Curst with each evil that pollutes,
Mankind where least above the brutes,
Without e'en savage virtue blest,"
had deluged the homes of the planters with blood : and the
tomahawk, the scalping knife and the firebrand had again
converted the shores of the St. John's into a wilderness.
Mournful truly was it to ascend the St. John's. The cotton-
grounds and the cane-fields were overgrown with thorny
briars, the cattle wandered wild round the ruins of the dwel-
lings of those who once were their owners ; here, a large
black spot on the ground, a few scattered fruit-trees, and per-
haps some flowers, not indigenous, told that once the white
man had dwelt where now nature reasserted her dominion ;
there, the same story was more clearly told, by the ruins of
some saw-mills, and the scattered fragments of the steam-
engine rusting on the ground.
St. Augustine, and that town
" of hectors,
Thieves, supercargoes, sharpers and directors,"
Jacksonville, were the only other places where we should
have found any accommodation, and neither of these could
be prefen-ed to St. John's Bluff. We had comfort, and
what was more, perfect freedom, for we had scarce any
neighbours, there being only two or three little houses
near. A small room up stairs was soon fitted up as our
laboratory; our boxes, setting-boards, jars, and all such
apparatus were ranged against the walls, which w^ere fur-
ther adorned with an axe, a cutlass, a gun, and its accom-
paniments of shot-belt, pow^der-hom and game-bag, and
our insect nets. I selected this room, because on one
side it commanded a view^ of the open western slope of the
bluff, on the other, of the wooded hill at the back of the
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 271
house ; and moreover had a door into a piazza, where I could
sit and skin a bird, or fish, and watch the Pelopcei building
their clay nests. At the back of the house was a hill, or
rather an elevated ridge of land, continued from the southern
side of the bluff, and bordering the shore for a considerable
distance, separating the low tract next the river from the
pine-barrens behind. This was entirely a hammock, that is
to say, originally a wood of other trees than pines. In Flo-
rida, the term hammock lands is applied to lands that are or
have been covered with hard-wooded trees, as oaks, sweet-
gum, hickory, &c. ; the term pine-barren, of course, belongs
to the low barren pine-covered tracts, though these are often
not so barren as their name or appearance w^ould lead us to
believe ; swamps are generally distinguished as cypress-
swamps, where the chief growth is Cupressus disticha and
bay-galls ; where the growth is chiefly Lauri and Gordonice,
the latter are mostly near to the rivers. At the back of the
house, then, we had a hammock, composed of live oaks
(Quercus virens), willow oaks [Quercus Phellos), and other
species, hickory {Carya'^), chinquapin {Castanea pumila),
sweet gum [Liquidambar styraciflua), beneath which was
an undergrowth of Olea Americana, Hopea tinctoria, Force -
lia pygmcea, Ptelea trifoliata, Hamamelis Viryinica, and a
variety of beautiful AndromedcB and Vaccinia, intermingled
with sweet bays and other shrubs, and a few young or
stunted plants of the tall palmetto. Bignonia capreolata,
Lonicera sempervirens, and Gelseminum nitidum were com-
mon here; Big^ionia radicans was more rare. Amongst the
bushes Cactus Opuntia abounded in every sunny spot; its
large golden flowers were the favourite resort of Trichius
piger f and one or two Lepturm. Flowers were not nume-
rous here, though there were a few rather interesting species,
I had omitted to mention the luxuriant vines of two or more
species which overspread the bushes, one species having
flowers as fragrant as the mignionette of our gardens; neither
have I said a word of the various species of Smilax annoy-
ingly common here.
There were various paths through this hammock, though
many nearly grown up, but my cutlass soon opened these,
and gave us a freer range. At the back of this hammock
was a large pond, abounding in water lilies and other aqua-
tic plants, especially a beautiful Eriocaulon. This pond
abounded, too, in aquatic Coleoptera, especially in February,
for after that month they became less numerous : dragon-
' Not having seen tlie fruit, I cannot say which species they were.
272 REMARKS ON THE
flies {Americe, "devil's darning-needles") were there in swarms
in April and May. Frogs, too, there was no lack of, and
noise enough they made in April, May and June. I used to
think of a story 1 heard on ship-board. A fellow w^as boast-
ing of the fertility of his lands on the Savannah river, they
were so rich that they produced three hundred bushels to the
acre. A bystander reminded him they were all a swamp ;
" True," says the boaster, " and they'll produce you three
hundred bushels of frogs to the acre, and alligators enough
to make a rail fence round them." As to frogs, this pond was
quite as productive. Beyond this pond all was one long
space of open pine-barren, for I know^ not how far south.
Occasionally swamps are to be met with, and one long line
of swamp is known as the Tw^elve-mile Swamp, a name, the
origin of which I do not know ; it can have no relation to
its length, for it reaches to within six miles of the bluff", and
in walking through the pine-barrens thirty miles further
south between Picolata and Augustine, I had to cross it, and
observed that it continued much further south. There are
several large and small ponds in the pine-barrens, one, I
should think covering above a hundred acres. The banks of
this are full of holes of the large tortoise or Gopher ( Testudo
Carolina), looking like rabbit burrows. These pine-barrens
are generally covered with dwarf palmettoes, Chamaerops
serrulata, and a low growth of Quercus pumila, and some
other shrubs, amongst which Ceratiola ericoides is very con-
spicuous from its heath-like appearance ; in fact, were it not
that it is rarely to be seen without many of its two-seeded
berries still adhering to the last year's shoots, it might easily
be mistaken for a heath. There are a good many flowers
scattered through these pine-barrens, the larger portion being
Composited ; but the custom of annually burning the grass
destroys these as vrell as the insects, the seeds of the annuals
being, in a great measure, burnt, and the growth of all others
of course is injured.
Westward from our dwelling, but separated by a little
creek and a narrow strip of marsh, was a large plantation
known as the Ship-yard, from a part of it having been once
used for that purpose. The soil and general appearance of
the surface was the same as at the bluff", the former varying
from all sand to a mixture of one part of vegetable mould
with one of sand. Large tracts had been cleared here and
neglected, and now were overrun with bushes of the Chick-
asaw plum, dew-berries {Ruhus trivialis), whose pleasant
fruit ripens in April, wild vines, various species of Smilax
and Cactus Opuntia, or an allied species (for certainly here
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 273
are more than one species of this genus in the southern
states ; Elliott thought three), and a variety of other plants.
These clearings were surrounded by hammocks, similar to the
one I have previously described, but with many other trees
and shrubs interspersed, as Magnolia grandiflora, Cupressus
thyoides, Aralia spinosa, Euonymus Americanus, Itea Vir-
gmica, and a beautiful Andromeda [A. paniculata f Walt.)
The tall palmetto, too, was abundant here, both as tall trees
of fifty or sixty feet high, or in its younger state, with its
fronds springing immediately from the ground, the only
state in which I have ever seen it when growing far from the
water.
In front of the house, and extending up to the western
side of the summit of the bluff, is a strip of open ground.
This is mostly covered with grass, but is here and there, in
spring and summer, one entire mass of Passifiora carnea
and Galactea Elliottii, and in one spot there was a large patch
of Clitoria mariana, intermingled with Centrosema Virgin-
iana : scattered'fig-trees, orange trees and pomegranates, with
here and there a bush of Melia Azedarach, give signs of a
former cultivation, more extended than it now is, probably
when the British held East Florida. Cactus Opuntia abounded
here, and JLrythrina herhacea shot up its long spikes of scar-
let flowers from the sides of the bushes of Xanthoxylum tri-
carpum.
Situated in about lat. 31° 35', of course, the climate of
the bluff" must be mild. In January, we had the thermometer
in the day-time, frequently up to between 60° and 70°; the
violets, our own sweet violets, were in flower in the gardens,
but beyond this there was little sign of vegetation making
any progress, until the end of the month. On the first of
February, we had the thermometer up to 69° at eight a. m.,
in the piazza on the north side of the house, open to the
cool sea-breeze ; the plums were getting into flower, and the
young leaves of Hamamelis virglnica were bigger than a
dollar ; some species of Smilax had young shoots above two
feet long ; Pinguicula pumila, Viola lanceolata, and a blue-
flowered species, were in full bloom, and Vaccinium sta-
mineum, and some of the Andromedce were coming into
flower. This was followed by thunder showers, and on
the 4th there was frost enough to brown slightly the young
shoots of the orange trees. The weather then again be-
came more warm, and on the 15th, the thermometer in
the piazza, at 8 a.m., was 69", and at 2 p.m., 77°. Vege-
tation now began to progress rapidly. The scarlet gros-
beaks and mocking birds were paired ; numerous Lepidoptera
and many Coleoptera, especially Telephoriy came to my
274 REMARKS ON TUB
lamps, and spring seemed quite set in. But again vegeta-
tion experienced a check, for early in the morning of the
17th was a very slight frost, and once in the ensuing fort-
night we had the thermometer as low as 41°, at 8 a.m. By
the 1st of March the peaches were in full bloom, and then
the bushes were hung with festoons of the fragrant golden
flowers of Gelseminmn nitidum. About this time, too, the
black snakes and the alligators came forth from their winter
quarters, and the river swarmed with brown pelicans [Peli-
canus fuscus). Although during the next two weeks, the
weather was sometimes rather cool, the thermometer once or
twice being as low as 45°, and never above 70°, vegetation
still progressed rapidly. Insects, as yet, were less numerous
than I had anticipated, and the frequent rains limited my
hunting excursions. The swamps, hitherto tolerably dry,
were now quite impracticable, the ponds overflowed their
banks, and the low grounds in the pine-barrens were all un-
der water.
After the vernal equinox, the weather was beautiful during
the remainder of our stay in Florida, that is, until the 15th
of June, although, during May, vegetation suffered from
drought. February and March had been wetter and colder
than usual ; April, May, and June, though not warmer than
common, were much drier, and the cotton and Indian com
suffered considerably. Occasionally we had a cold day, but
they were not frequent. Once in April I observed the ther-
mometer as low as 51°, and once in May, 58°. The general
temperature of April was from 60° to 70° at 8 A, m., and 75°
to 84° at 2 P.M. In general the nights were warm; I observed
the thermometer more than once at 74° between midnight
and 3 A.M., my common bed-time, when there was no moon.
The thermometer, generally, gradually sunk from sunset until
sun-rise, then rose again until 2 p. m., unless the sea-breeze
blew strong, for then, sometimes, it was cooler at that time
than at eight or ten o'clock in the morning. Exposed on the
sands to both the sun and the sea-breeze, the thermometer
often rose to 124°. In May and June we often had the ther-
mometer at 78° at 8 a.m., and 88° at 2 p.m. Nothing could
be more luxurious than this weather, especially for an ento-
mologist. The plan I generally followed was to rise about
six, to spend an hour spreading the last night's captures,
breakfast at seven, start at once for a walk till two, then
spend an hour in ablutions for the sake of health, and rub-
bing myself with oil to kill the hetes-rouges, which swarm in
some parts of the hammocks ; take a short siesta after din-
ner, and then a short walk, until sunset brought on dark-
ness without the inteiTention of twilight ; and then, after an
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 275
evening meal, light my lamps to attract moths, and sit down
to spread insects, or press plants, always till after midnight,
sometimes until the rosy-fingered goddess showed herself in
the east, when, from a couple to four hours of sleep, made
me ready to begin a new day. Reader, if ever it should be
thine to reside in a hot climate, never neglect two things ;
the one to take plenty of exercise, regardless of the heat of
noon, but regardful of chill night dews ; the other, to take
great care of thy skin, for the moment perspiration is stopped
fever begins. Ill health I never knew in East Florida, until
lameness hindered me for some days from taking long walks ;
want of exercise then brought on lassitude and debility.
Coleoptera were now getting more numerous. Of the Ci-
cindela, the earliest was Cic. unicolor, Dej., which, though
found in almost all the pathways distant from the river, was
still a rather rare insect. This was followed by Cic- tortuosa,
Dej., Cic. punctulata, Fab., and Cic. marginata, Fab., all
mostly frequenting the shores of the river, especially the mud
left bare at low water. Further from the shore the beautiful
Cic, abdominalis, Fab., made its appearance in June, and
then, too, Cic. dorsalis, Say., [Cic. signata, Dej.), was very
abundant at the mouth of the river. Under the fallen trees,
or any scattered boards (stones there are none) you would
find Pasimachi, Galeritce, Chlcenii, Scarites subterraneus,
Harpalus hicolor, Clivina crenata, and other allied insects.
Beneath the bark of the pine stumps, Ancliomenus decorus,
Alaus myops^ and sometimes Al. oculatus^ a good many He-
teromera and not a few scorpions were to be found ; and in
the decaying stumps of the water-oak, many species of Te-
nehrionidcB were common, though less numerous than they
had been in the winter months. On the brush-wood
various Telepliori, Digraphce, Dictyopteri, Elateridce, Cur-
culionidcB, and ChrysomelidcB were now to be found. On the
flowers of the dwarf oaks we took two or three species of
Hydnocera and some beautiful Cryptocepali ; ' on those of the
farkleberry [Vaccinium arhoreum) several small Lehi<B (as
Leb. tricolor, vittata, viridis, pulchella), the pretty Trichius
viridukis, and the equally pretty but more rare Trichius lunu-
latus. Cetoni(B too appeared; two species in great abun-
dance, Cetonia brunnea, Dej. {Scarab(Bus Indus, Lin.), and
Cetonia sepulchralis, the latter in various flowers, the former
flying over the pathways. The palmetto flowers were the fa-
vourite haunts of Trichius Delta. During our whole stay in
East Florida I had adopted my old plan of illuminating our
* Vide ' Mag. Nat. Hist.' new series, vol. iv. p. 250.
Vol. IV.— No. 42. n. s. 2 l
276 REMARKS ON THE
windows, except on evenings when ther^ was much moonlight,
for then it was useless, and then I loved to sit in the piazza
and look out over the broad calm river, to listen to the hoarse
roar of the alligators, the loud drumming of the drum-fish,
the croaking of the frogs, the loud plaint of the whip-poor-
will, or the music of the mocking-bird. Beautiful, most beau-
tiful were those calm clear nights, when the moon, almost
vertical, hung like a silver globe beneath the dark blue sky,
which, studded with a few bright stars, seemed to lie far be-
yond her. To me these evenings seemed to tell more clearly
than the days that I was far from home ; whatever sound we
heard, whether it was the plaint of the whip-poor-will, or the
alligator's roar, or whether it was the gay songs of the ne-
groes as they paddled by in their canoes : whatever object
the moon revealed to us, all was unlike to what we could see
and hear in our native land, and over everything visible was
poured forth a flood of light so beautiful, — but words cannot
describe it, and I am digressing, and must " try back," as the
Florida phrase is.
It was during the period I have now been speaking of, that
my evening and nocturnal labours were most successful ; in
the early part of the time in Lepidoptera, later, in Coleoptera.
The latter sometimes came in great numbers, and on those
nights the Lepidoptera all stayed away. I might try to lure
them from the woods, but they would not come when I called
them. The Coleoptera which chiefly came, were one or two
Lehiae, Omophron Lecontei, Panag(Bus fasciatus, one or two
Anchomeni, Harpalus hicolor, various Selenophori, Melo-
lonthce hirticula, varians,frondicola, Say, and other species.
Cyclocephala immaculata, Serica sericea, and other of their
allies, a few Elateridce, Enoplium marginatum, Say, and one
or two other species : various Telephori, Euparius luguhris,
lunatus and coronatus, Monohammus dentator, Cerasphorus
garganicus, Elaphidion mucronatum and putator, Lamia Al-
pha, Acanthocinus ohsoletus and other longicoms, amongst
which were some interesting new species. Occasionally, too,
a host of CicindelcB would pay me a visit, a circumstance I
was at a loss to account for, until I found that they were all
labouring under hydrophobia, brought on by the passing of
a steam-boat, or the rise of the tide. De Coleopterls satis
dictum est.
Orthoptera and Neuroptera, too, were getting pretty nume-
rous ; for the fonner, however, the autumn is the best season.
The curious genus Mantispa appeared in April and May,
when Man. hrunnea was not unfrequently to be found on the
bushes of Baccharis and Lycium, near the shore. A few
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 277
MantidcB came to my lamps. Hymenoptera, in June, began
to abound. Previously, numerous bees had been out, but in
June the space in front of the house swarmed with various
species of Scolia, Bemhex, Mutilla, S^c, but of these it will
be spoken elsewhere. Hemiptera were not numerous, nei-
ther did I meet with so many of peculiar forms as I had hoped.
The Diptera I would gladly say nothing about, for I love
Pkst Florida dearly ; I don't like to say anything to her dis-
credit ; but alas ! I can't do otherwise than tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There are, in East
Florida, musquitoes enough to teach the whole world, as Sam
Slick has it, the moral of feeling, and not only this world, but
another or two besides, and if the 'squetoes would not do it,
the sandflies would, and if the sandflies would not, the Ta-
hanid(B would. 1 once ran a thorn of Cactus Opuntia through
my boot into my ancle, and broke it off below the skin. I
I could not extract the barbed point, and so w^as lame for a
few days, and had to go about in low shoes. I fancied the
musquitoes had been busy one day at my foot, above the
shoe, so set to work to count the bites. There were marks of
nearly fixQ dozen bites on my ancles and instep, all swelled
up as big as peas. When collecting in the vicinity of the
swamps and ponds, hands, face, and neck came in for an
equal share of bites : the very time occupied in pinning an
insect enables a dozen to have a fair chance at you. Upon
the principle laid down by Lucretius, in his second book
concerning the nature of things, ^ it may not be uninteresting
to the English entomologist to know that there is a vast va-
riety in the sensations caused by the bites of various species
of musquitoes. There is a red fellow like our Culex rufus,
and another, like our C. annulatus, that bite pretty sharp,
but don't cause much pain, itching or swelling afterwards ;
there is another fellow, with pearly white wings, and semi-
transparent body and legs, that goes to work upon you so
gently that you don't perceive it, but ends in getting such a
meal at your expense, that he can hardly fly off with it ;
you know some twelve hours after where he got it from, and
won't forget for a couple of days. Then there is a brown
fellow who torments you both now and hereafter ; I mean
that his bite is very sharp, and that it leaves a good-sized
swelling to plague you for three days ; and if you rub it you
Suave, mari magno turljantibus aequora ventis,
E terra magnum alterius spectare laborem :
Non quia vexari quemquam est jucunda voluptas,
Sed quibus ipse malis careas, quia cernere suave est.
278 REMARKS ON THE
make a sore that will teaze you for a long time. Your true
musquitoes, when they alight on you, don't begin to bite at
once, but sit down and feel your skin with their heaks, and
lift up a leg and put it down again, with sundry other ma-
noeuvres, and then commence operations : but there are some
species who come at you with the beak stretched out, as if
charging with a bayonet, and fairly have it in your skin ere
they alight ; these are gallynippers. Satis de Culicihus dic-
tum est.
Next to the musquitoes in rank, as annoyances, come the
Tahanidce. First, there are two or three species of Chrysops,
of which you may have a hundred round yoiu* head waiting
for a chance to bleed you : then you have the true bred Ta-
hani, some as big as the last joint of your thumb ; there
can be no need of leeches where they are. Last come the
sand-flies, a most intolerable pest near the shore, and there
Only. I don't know the genus, they are little fellows, very
like our Ceratopogones, but possibly are Simulia, though
much smaller than our British species. Near the river they
are in millions, and creep into your hah*, whiskers, eye-brows,
and if you have silk or cotton gloves, put their heads in be-
tween the threads, and bite pretty smart, though not so very
bad, if they did not come at you by hundreds at a time. Such
are the troubles of an insect-collector in East Florida ; trou-
bles, however, he soon gets used to, and ceases to care about.
Much more remains to be said of the Diptera, much has
been passed over of interest in the other orders ; but already
I have made too long an introduction to my paper, and it is
more than time that I began the real subject of it. Gentle
reader, if so be that thou art gentle, as I hope thou art, par-
don the tediousness of much that has been written. No
doubt thou hast read in Gil Bias what made the Archbishop
of Grenada's homilies more tedious than usual ; a similar
cause has made this introduction what it is. For the future,
Dios te Hbre, lector, de Prologos largos, y de malos Epitetos.
On the 15th of June, we bade adieu to our excellent landlady
and her household, not forgetting all the negroes (for your
southern slaveholder, even, if leaving home for a long time,
shakes hands with his domestic slaves), and left Florida a
day or two afterwards. Our course northward lay through
the beautiful sea islands on the coast of Georgia.
These islands produce the valuable sea-island cotton, and
are well cultivated in their interior ; their shores are in gene-
ral beautifully fringed with woods, though here and there is
a portion of salt marsh. But the voyage between them is
truly delightful, not only for the beauty of the scenery, but
LEPIDOPTERA OF NORTH AMERICA. 279
the picture of happy labour it presents. It would be hard
to find an equal in beauty to the zone of vegetation that
surrounds them, or a more enlivening scene of labour. By
the side of the lofty cone of the magnolia, displaying her snowy
blossoms to the breezes which waft their fragrance afar, shoots
up the tall stem of the palmetto, crowned with its vast fan-
like fronds ; the dark foliage of the cypress and pine are in-
termixed with the delicate green of the water-oak, or the
liquidambar ; the live oak spreads forth its crooked arms, all
hung with long grey tresses of Tillandsia, over the thickets
of BumelicB, Hopea, Lauri, Andromedce, Vaccinia, with
snow-white blossoms ; Myrica, Olea, Glycine, and countless
other shrubs, interwoven with scarlet-flowered honeysuckles,
grape-vines with fragrant flowers, and the two Bignonice,
their flexible branches ascending the tallest oaks, and hang-
ing with flowery wreaths their rugged arms. From this mass
of foliage and flowers the mocking bird pours forth his ever-
varied lay ; the scarlet grosbeak, his humbler but melodious
notes ; and the little ground-doves complain in mournful tones.
High above soar the vultures, mere moving dark spots on the
deep blue sky, and bright as silver glistens the white head
of the bald eagle, as he wheels in wide circles keeping watch
over the fish -hawk, seated on the dead branch of a pine.
Here a sturgeon leaps, or a porpoise blows, there an alligator
floats like a log on the surface of the water, or basks ex-
tended in the sun. Swift from some little cove darts forth a
light boat, manned by some half-dozen negroes, with faces
looking happy as a schoolboy's on a holiday ; their oars keep
time to their songs in praise of their boat and their master.
From behind the bushes burst forth the sound of loud laugh-
ter, or gay voices, perhaps, echoing back the chorus of the
sable crew of the boat. An opening through the leafy screen
at the bottom of the cove whence the boat came, discloses
the interior of the island, showing wide-spread cotton fields,
the mansions of the planters, the little towns of negro-
houses, half buried in trees, and the cheerful gangs of la-
bourers (must I say slaves ?) whose merry voices have been
heard before. At the boat-landing, groups of little negro-
children, perhaps, too, there are many white children mingled
with them, are playing on the sands, or angling in the clear
wave, and here and there an old superannuated negro is en-
joying the sunshine, or aiding the young ones in their sport.
The scene is one of beauty, life, and happiness. Such are
the shores of Georgia. From Savannah we proceeded to
Augusta, thence to the Warm Springs in North Carolina, and
so northward and eastward to New York. After spending a
280 ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION.
few days near the clear blue waters of the Horicon, I pro-
ceeded to Boston in order to spend a few days near Dr. Har-
ris. I knew that from an American I could expect nothing
but candour and kindness, for it is the grand characteristic of
the nation. But much as I had expected, what I met with
far exceeded my expectations. It would take up too much
space, were I to enter into a detail of all the claims that Dr.
Harris has on my esteem and gratitude ; but I cannot let an
opportunity pass by without testifying to his unostentatious
kindness and liberality. Cabinets, books, and manuscripts,
were all thrown open to me. His collections, entomological
books, &c., were in two rooms in the college buildings. A
duplicate key given to me, enabled me to gain access at
any hour. But enough. May the day never come when I
shall cease with grateful heart to honor and esteem him.
Long may he live the first trans-atlantic Entomologist !
(To he continued.)
Art. IV. — Refnarks on the Theory of Spontaneous Generation.
By Mr. J. B. Bladon.
In your January number. Dr. Weissenbom endeavours to
argue from the Flora of the snow formation, the possibility
of spontaneous generation ; but as it often happens with
controversies upon cause and effect, the same fact may be
wrested to support both sides of the question. He assumes a
spontaneous origin to the plants of the snow formations,
without assigning any reason whatever for it. We know
that animal life can exist when the body is not only exposed
to cold far below the freezing point, but some of the cold-
blooded invertehrata of the arctic regions, may be frozen,
thawed, and re-frozen, several times successively, and yet
without life becoming extinct. Surely he does not mean to
intimate that the cold and barren state of those places is
incompatible with animal or vegetable reproduction ; but
that it still possesses vigour sufficient to produce the vital
principle of vegetable organisms. It is well known that
there are vegetable organisms peculiar to water in its fluid
state, without contact with any earthy substance whatever ;
and that also there are others peculiar to places where the
atmosphere is fully charged with it in the state of vapour,
ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. 281
only requiring a resting-place where they may be subject to
its influence : then, what reason is there that we should deny
organisms to it in its solid state ? It is still composed essen-
tially of the same substances as in its other states : I say
essentially, because in its fluid, or other states, it is often
contaminated by other extrinsic substances, which may form
a pabulum for some peculiar organism, which can only exist
when such contamination takes place. What reason then
can be assigned that we should assert immediately a vege-
table organism appears upon it when in the solid state, that
this owes its existence to spontaneous generation ? It is not
positively shown that they were without seeds or germs, al-
though it may be admitted that these were not observable ;
the reproduction of fungi is at present in such a state of
obscurity, that it would be extremely difficult for any botanist
to determine what are the germs in numberless species ; were
the fungi of the glacier proved to be germ less, — that they did
notpossess the faculty of reproduction, — then there would be
a resting-place or foundation for the doctrine.
By the Doctor's manner of reasoning, when we find an
unknown organism in a situation where we expected to find
none, or observe a well-known one in an unusual habitat,
or at a considerable distance from its other known localities,
we are directly to ascribe a spontaneous generation to it;
surely this is a most unphilosophical mode of disposing of
the question, as direct a cutting of the Gordian knot as the
most dogmatical assertion of the contrary doctrine could pos-
sibly be. This is flying in the face of his own rule, which
is the only safe foundation for us to proceed upon ; let us, in
all disputed cases, leave ourselves open to conviction, and
search out for the truth with unbiassed minds, or at least
with a determination to avoid preconceived opinions, and to
take every fact into consideration, with its proper deductions,
and not to strain it, and by a tortuous mode of reasoning, try
to put a false construction upon it. There are very few, if any,
facts taken in support of the doctrine of equivocal genera-
tion, but what may as equally (and perhaps as justly) be used
to support the contrary opinion; for it is not the obvious
appearance of the organisms, whether vegetable or animal,
that is disputed, but the cause of their appearance. A known
organism appears in some unusual place, fi^om its previously
known habitats, or an unknown one is observed in some
locality never as yet minutely examined, or at least not made
known that it has been examined ; the advocates of sponta-
neous generation immediately say, that our doctrine is the
right one, is plainly evident, because here an organism has
282 ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION.
appeared, which cannot be accounted for otherwise. Is as-
sertion to take the place of positive facts, and is not this
mere assertion ? How can we prove that there were no germs
of that type of organisms in that place where we now ob-
serve the organism in question ? We find, when we begin to
examine it, that it produces germs itself; then, by what parity
of reasoning can we assert, that it has sprung from matter
without any previous germ, when we find, in every succeeding
instance, a germ is always given for a succeeding organism ?
Philosophers are too much in the habit of considering
themselves bound to assign a cause for every extraordinary
proceeding in nature, as soon as observed, instead of candidly
confessing their ignorance upon the subject, as though it
would disgrace them to own that there were some subjects
on which they possessed no more knowledge than the most
unlearned. What ridiculous theories we should have been
spared the pain of observing attached to respectable names,
had they acted as above ; but instead of proceeding upon
experiments and facts, and adapting their superstructure to
the knowledge so obtained, they boldly assume a position,
propound a theory in accordance with it, and then strive to
support it by placing the most favourable observations in
direct support, and wresting the unfavourable ones from their
legitimate bearings and deduction to support it. This has
happened with the advocates of many doctrines, and in
nearly every branch of natural science.
I can as easily believe that spontaneous generation can
produce the largest, or the most complex organism, as that
it can produce the smallest, or the most simple. Why should
the operation of it be confined in general to the lower grades
of organisms, both animal and vegetable, by the advocates
of it, but solely because they know that they are unable to
bring the slightest reason (much less fact) in support of
their doctrine ? If they apply it to the larger, the universal
experience of all mankind is against them. It is an idea com-
monly held by many of the most ignorant and illiterate per
sons, that Pediculi are generated spontaneously owing "to an
ill habit of body ; and I have known instances where the
appearance of a single specimen of Ped. vesiiamenti (P.
corporis humani, Weiss.), would throw a whole family into the
greatest inquietude, being regarded as the precursor of se-
vere bodily illness, or trouble in worldly affairs. With regard
to the statement of cleanliness preventing the operation of
spontaneous generation in producing the various species of
Pediculi, I can easily understand how cleanliness may re-
move them after generation ; but I must confess my obtuse-
ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. 283
ness in not being able to comprehend how cleanliness pre-
vents spontaneous generation from producing them. I may
safely appeal to the daily experience of hundreds, who, for
long periods of time, have used no other modes of preven-
tion than merely combing their hair with a common comb,
without ever being infested by Fed. capitis. What prevents
spontaneous generation from taking place in such cases ?
They are subject to the same influence as others; whatever
secretions are produced, there they remain, subject to their
power and influence, yet none are generated ; but if, by some
chance, they should come in sufficient contact with an in-
fested person, so that they might receive some from him, they
will then live and multiply as favourably as if the person
had been subject to them for years.'
In respect to banishing the " uncouth idea of a Deus ex
machind^^ so much insisted on by Dr. W., I think the argu-
ments adduced by him are not very effective for that purpose;
the utmost they do is merely to remove it a step further. If
the vital principle is inseparably connected with matter, the
varied purposes, actions, and operations of that principle, in
all the varied forms of organic beings, must have been fore-
seen by the Almighty; and powers suitable to those purposes
have been implanted either in the different combinations of
matter, or have endowed this unknown dynamic power with
those peculiar powers, by the direct operation or command
of the Deity, which then brings him into as direct operation
in creating this complex unknown power, as a means of
working out his intentions with respect to the created world
and its inhabiting beings, as the common opinion does, which
is the more simplified manner of action ; his omniscience is
called into exercise equally as much, whichever opinion we
adopt ; he knows the forms best suited for each purpose or
locality, and whether he, by his direct word, called the types
of all organisms into existence, or created a power which
should perform the creations of those forms according as he
saw best and most fitting, his omnipotent or almighty power
is equally called forth. But to proceed (as I intend to return
to this part of the subject further on), if we consider life
solely by its effects, it is certainly a dynamic power, exhibit-
ing results accomplished by no other power whatever ; but
with regard to its operations upon matter alone, as exhibited
to our general view, we have nothing to do in our present
' I have pursued this view of the subject much farther in the ' Entomo-
logical Magazine ' for April, 1837, in controverting the opinions of Bur-
raeister upon Phthiriasis, &c., as expressed in his ' Manual of Entomology,'
§§ 202, 203.
Vol. IV.— No. 42. n. s. 2 m
284 ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION.
enquiry : our object is simply to ascertain, as far as we pos-
sibly can, whence life originates as we see it in operation in
a living organism as to its primary origin. I believe there
are but very few persons who object to ascribing it to a
Supreme Being, and as one of the works that bears the im-
press of an Almighty Creator, the most visibly to the mate-
rial eye of man. Our question is, do living organisms always
receive their vital or living principle from a typical predeces-
sor, or do they ever receive it from a universal dynamic
power acting upon matter, without typical predecessors ?
Spontaneous generation, when divested of all circumlocu-
tion and long array of words, amounts simply to one of the
two following theorems, if I may be permitted to adopt a
mathematical expression.
1st. That life is an inseparable attendant upon matter.
2nd. That a principal attribute of matter is life ; for firstly,
matter has only to be exhibited under different modifications
to the influence of the unknown dynamic power to produce
all the different modifications of organisms (living or extinct),
the less variation causing the difference of species, and con-
sequently the greater ones, the genera, families, orders, and
classes ; or secondly, all organisms are created by sponta-
neous generation " from the reaction of different kinds of
matter upon each other, in consequence of the inherent
qualities and power with which they were invested through
the omnipresence of the Creator." In the foregoing quota-
tion. Dr. W. either has alluded to a different attribute of the
Supreme Being from what he intended by the tenor of his
essay, or otherwise, he controverts his own arguments re-
specting God as the acting Creator. I should suppose he
meant to allude to the omniscience and omnipotence of God
in investing matter with the qualities he speaks of; if he
really alludes to the omnipresence of the Creator, at the
arrangement of matter previously to the commencement of
the life of every organism, this is bringing a direct interfer-
ence of the Creator in every individual instance of the pro-
duction of an organism, which is a more " uncouth idea " of
the working Creator than the commonly received opinion of
the Deity calling every typical form of organic being into
existence at the creation, by his own word alone.
If we admit, for argument's sake, the possibility of a univer-
sally distributed dynamic power that has the power of giving
life and individuality to organisms, we shall be driven to
adopt the hypothesis of the Archeus, or Spiritus mundi of
former ages, to direct and controul its operations. If we view
it as a principle or power incident to matter, something
ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. 285
analogousHo the electro-galvanic fluid, how are we to account
for its varied results in the different classes of organisms, so
as to give such extremely different powers of vital chemistry
(if I may be permitted the use of the expression), that it
shall endow one race of organisms with the faculty of secret-
ing a combination of matter sought for in vain in every other
race of organic beings, or in any combination of unorganized
matter found upon the earth, and past the art of man so to
combine matter to produce the same results, even although
he knows all its constituents and the proportion in which
they are combined, — that two insects shall be hatched, feed,
and come to maturity upon the same plant, yet each of them
shall so secrete matter, that it shall be utterly in vain to find
the least trace of the peculiar product of the one in the other,
although they have been subject to the influence of the same
matter externally and internally. There surely must be a
something beyond the mere effect of matter operated upon
by any single power attached to it ; it is rather difficult to
comprehend the idea of one and the same purely dynamic
(consequently unintelligent) power, creating by its operations
alone upwards of a million different species of organisms,
endowing each with different powers from all the rest, giving
each the everduring faculty of reproduction of its kind, so
that its descendants may never deviate from its type.
If the powers of life are inherent in matter, and invested
in or with it by the Almighty, how are we to account for the
extinction of races of organic beings } If we allow that man
can carry on a war of extermination against a species of
beings, what prevents spontaneous generation in such cases ?
Are we to allow that one organism possesses the power of
utterly eradicating another organism, notwithstanding the
inherent powers of matter by which they are both produced ;
— that man is more mighty than his Maker ; — that spon-
taneous generation can create a power more powerful than
itself? What absurdities we are liable to be led into when
we overstep the plain boundaries of observed truth ! If
we are so far distant from the great creative period of the
present world, as to expect no new forms of organisms, what
prevents it from reproducing the present or extinct forms ?
Are we to conclude that it lies dormant as to one race of
organisms, and in full operation as regards another ; or that
it is so far exhausted, that it is not able to produce the
higher organisms ? If so, it must, in time, become utterly
exhausted and extinct, unless, by the direct interference of
the Creator, it is renovated or renewed ; if it is not weak-
ened, it must necessarily produce the very same forms of
beings that it already has produced miless the combina-
286 ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION.
lions of matter vary, in which case the organisms produced
must vary, which would, consequently, be new typical forais ;
or lastly, we must conclude that there must be combinations
of matter, not susceptible of its influence, which would de-
stroy the doctrines of the inherent qualities of matter.
A serious objection against the admission of the doctrine
of spontaneous generation, whether as explained by Dr.
Weissenborn,orbyBurmeister,inhis 'Manual of Entomology'
(who only allows spontaneous generation to act upon the
secretions rejected by the vital principle of an organism),
is the individuality of the organisms produced by its opera-
tions. What power is there to regulate its actions upon the
matter exposed to it ? When a dynamic power of any kind
acts upon matter, it acts upon the whole mass exposed, and
not upon the most minute portions of it alone ; therefore this
presumed dynamic power, when in action, must animate the
whole mass of matter exposed, whether great or small. If
the mass in question is more than enough to furnish one
germ or organism, what power regulates it, that it shall only
create them of the size wanted, and that it shall not create a
larger one ? Is it capable of dividing the matter, of knowing
how much is required for each organism ? There must be
some superintending power in attendance upon it, to prevent
the confusion that must necessarily operate in producing
genus of the same species of every conceivable size, from
the most minute to the largest, according to the size of the
varied collection of matter subjected to its influence ; or are
we to believe that matter always assembles of itself in one
determinate quantity according as it is required by this un-
known power ? If, by its power, it creates such quantities
of Pediculi, that a sick person's head is " cover ed^^ with
them ''at once^'' with adults, not with germs ; if there was
such a quantity of disposable matter at hand, it must have
been distributed in quantities of various sizes. I should
very much like to be informed, how, in such a case, the mat-
ter was regulated, so that there should be no overplus in one
place nor any deficiency in another, if the cuiTents of the pow-
er were all in a state of equal tension or density, so as to give
an equal proportion of vital power to every atom of the mat-
ter exposed ; and if so, what power divides the living mat-
ter into the proper quantities for each insect ? Might we
not rather suppose that it would create one organism of each
separate quantity of matter ? That would be most in ac-
cordance with every observed action of every known dynamic
power.
( To he continued.)
MsJ^
C/iito/ies.
DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CHITONS. 287
Art. V. — Descriptions of some new Chitons. By Mr. G. B*
So WE KB Y, Jun.
Sir,
Having lately examined the principal collections of shells, for
the purpose of making a revised list of the species of the genus Chiton,
I have met with the following which I am unable to refer to described
species. As this genus is one of great interest, I am desirous of making
the new species known by their publication in the ' Magazine of Natural
History,' and I have, therefore, drawn up the accompanying descriptions,
with drawings of such of them as appear to me most worthy of illustra-
tion. *
Editor of the Your's &c.,
Mag. Nat. Hist.' G. B. SOWERBY, Jun.
Chiton hrevispinosus. (Supp. PI. xvi. fig. 1).
Ch. testa nigra, depressa, ovali, antice sub-attenuata ; dorso rotundato,
laevi ; lateribus concentrice undulato-granulatis ; areis lateralibus vix dis-
tinctis ; margine spinis brevibus, nigris, numerosis instructo. Long. Ij^;
lat. 1^5 poll.
Ins. Johanna, E. Africa. Mus. Cuming.
Differing from Ch. spinosus, in the number and length of
the spines, as well as in the sculpture of the valves, this
species forms a pretty addition to the thorny-margined sec-
tion of Chitons. It is rather flat, oval, narrowed in front ;
the valves are rounded and smooth at the beaks, and granu-
lated at the sides, in undulating, concentric ridges ; an in-
distinct beaded rib met by strict at acute angles, separates
the lateral from the dorsal areas ; the numerous short black
spines studding the margin, are tipped with light yellow
points, which afford a pretty relief to the general black co-
lour of the shell.
Chiton spiniger. (Supp. PI. xvi. fig. 2).
Ch. testa depressa, ovato-elongata omnino granulata ; valvis reclinen-
tibus, tenninalibus rotundatis ; margine lato, spinis subarcuatis numerosis
instructo. Long. 2,^ ; lat. H, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. Stainforth.
Another spiniferous species, rather narrow in proportion
to its length ; depressed and finely granulated ; the valves
are rounded at the lateral extremities, with their apices lean-
» The illustrations to this paper will be given in the next number of the
Supplementary Plates. — Ed.
288 DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CHITONS.
ing backward, and their lateral areas scarcely distinguished :
numerous slightly curved spines, nearly ^ an inch long, cover
the margin ; general colour like a faded leaf, with dark
patches of reddish brown covering the lateral, and part of
the central areas of some of the valves, and a dark dorsal
band bordered by bright green and white.
Chiton alternatus. (Con. lUus.* fig. 141).
Ch. testa elongata, subdepressa, minutissime granulata ; costa central!
leviter carinata ; areis lateralibus costa lateral! separatis ; valva antica
radiat!m costata ; post!ca parva ; margine sp!n!s minut!s !nstructo, nigro
alboque alterne fasciato. Long. J^ ; lat. i|, poll.
Japan. Mus. Cum!ng.
Narrow, rather flat, minutely granulated ; the first valve is
radiated with slightly raised ribs, the intermediate have each
three faint ribs, one dorsal, the other two lateral ; the last is
very small, with a nearly terminal apex ; the margin is co-
vered with very minute spines, in alternate patches of black
and white ; general colour dark olive green.
Chiton pectinatus. (Supp. PI. xvi. fig. 3).
Ch. testa elongata, subcarinata ; valvis recHnentibus, retus!s, radiatim
costatis ; areis lateraUbus ex!gu!s valde elevatis ; marg!ne spin!s brev!ss!m!s
obtus!s !nstructo. Long, li ; lat. ^, poll.
Cape of Good Hope. Mus. Stainforth.
This species differs from Ch. limaciformis in being
strongly ribbed, and from Ch. retusus, in not being fascicu-
lated. It is elongated and narrow, with strongly relieved
lateral areas, as in both those species ; it is strongly pecti-
nated ; the valves are obtuse, and lean towards the posterior
extremity, the apex of the last valve being nearly terminal.
The margin is narrow, and covered with short blunt spines.
Colour brownish white, variegated with reddish spots. ^.
Chiton Watsoni. (Con. Illus. fig. 81, 130).
Ch. testa elongata, tenuissime radiatim striata ; dorso rotundato ; valvis
ad latera disj unctis ; areis lateralibus paulo elevatis, angustis ; margine
setis numerosis nigris instruct©. Long. 2$ ; lat. 1^, poll.
Cape of Good Hope. Mus. Watson.
Quoy and Gaimard have described this shell in the ' Voy-
age de r Astrolabe,' under the the name of Ch. casta?ieus,
which name being pre-occupied, I have taken the liberty of
' Concliological Illustrations, by G. B, Sowerby, Jun,
DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CHITONS. 289
exchanging it for that of the gentleman who has brought
from the Cape the only specimens existing in British cabi-
nets.
Chiton ciliatus. (Con. lUus. fig. 79).
Ch. testa depressa, dorso subrotundato, valvis sulDreniformibus, ad latera
disjunctis; aieis lateralibus oblique granoso-sulcatis ; costa granulosa
utrinque marginata ; areis centralibus granoso-sulcatis, valva prima ra-
diatim costata ; margine ciliato. Long, f ; lat. i, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. G. B. Sowerby, Sen.
The valves are flattish, with the edges arched and slightly-
beaked, and not united at the lateral extremities ; central
areas longitudinally grooved : a slightly raised granular rib
separates the lateral from the central areas ; these are ob-
liquely grooved so as to meet the grooves of the central
areas at acute angles on the rib ; margin brown, covered with
light brownish hairs ; the colours are variegated, green, yel-
low and black.
Chiton petholatus. (Con. Illus. fig. 64, Qb).
Ch. testa laevi, subdepressa, antice posticeque sub-attenuata ; dorso ro-
tundato ; valvis subrostratis, prima radiatim costata, ultima apice termi-
nali ; margine lato ciliato. Long. If. ; lat If, poll.
New Holland. Mus. G. B. Sowerby, Sen.'
The margin of this beautiful species is broad, flesh-co-
loured, with brown bands, and short stiff hairs ; the shell is
smooth, rather flat, tapering towards each extremity ; the
valves are slightly beaked, the first radiated, the last with a
terminal apex. A very slight rib separates the lateral from
the central areas. The ground colour is light green, varied
with brown, and a broad central white line. A variety oc-
curs with a brown dorsal band, and angular brown markings,
named Ch. porphyrius in ' Conchological Illustrations.'
Chitonellus strigatus. (Con. Illus. fig. 63).
Ch. corpore limaciformi, velutino ; valvis testaceis parvis, prima semi-
lunata, ultima ovali, intermediis hexagonis, fasciis tribus dorsalibus ; mar-
gine fasciculis minimis prope valvas instructo. liOng. f ; lat. f , poll.
Hab. ? Mus. Stainforth.
The body is cylindrical, minutely studded with hairs, giving
it a velvety appearance. As in other species of Chitonellus^
the valves are small \ the first is semilunar, the last oval, the
290 DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CHITONS.
intermediary hexagonal, with three diverging bands of dark
brown on each. In the much dried specimen from which
the figure and description are taken, the minute bunches
of hairs are so rubbed that I did not at first discover them.
Chiton hastatus. (Supp. PI. xvi. fig. 4).
Ch. testa exigua, granulata ; valvis reclinentibus, acutis : quinque pri-
mis perexiguis ; tribus ultimis latioribus ; margine crasso, rudi, fasciculis
rubris miiiutis prope valvas instructo. Long, f ; lat. ^, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. G. B. Sowerby, Sen.
An interesting little shell, forming a link between the ge-
nera Chitonelliis and Chiton, The margin is thick and rough,
with little bunches of red hairs ; the valves lean backwards,
and are strongly pointed j the first fiYe considerably nar-
rower than the last three ; the last has a pointed terminal
apex.
Chiton foveolatus. (Con. Illus. fig. 60).
Ch. testa ovali depressa, dorso rotundato, laevi : areis lateralibus et ter-
minalibus radiatim sulcatis, elevatis ; valvarum marginibus posticis deu-
ticulatis ; areis centralibus ad latera foveolatis. Long. 1 ^^ ; lat. -^j poll.
Hab. .? Mus. Stainforth.
I am not acquainted with the margin of this species, but
from analogy, am inclined to think that it is scaly. The
shell is regularly oval, rather flat, smooth, rounded in the
centre, the lateral and terminal areas rather elevated, radiately
grooved ; the posterior edges of the valves denticulated, the
central areas marked at the sides with deep ruts in the di-
rection of the lines of growth. General colour bay, inclin-
ing to grey at the edges, varied with light patches, and occa-
sional bands of light brown.
Chiton Australis. (Con. Illus. fig. 46).
Ch. testa ovali, carinata ; dorso elevato ; areis lateralibus distinctis,
granoso-costatis ; areis centralibus granoso-lineatis ; margine squamoso.
Long. I-^; lat. H, poll.
Australia. Mus. G. B. Sowerby, Sen.
Shell regularly oval, with the back rather elevated, angular,
the central areas characterized by granular ridges, and the
lateral areas by coarser moniliform ridges. The margin is
scaly ; the general colour olive green, tinged with rose at
the apices of the valves.
DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CHITONS. 291
Chiton virgulatus. (Con. Illus. fig. 132).
" Ch. testa ovali, subcarinata, depressa; areis centralibus longitudinaliter
striatis ; areis lateralibus ramose sulcatis; areis centralibus longitudinal-
iter striatis ; margine squamoso. Long, l/^; lat. 1, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. G. B. Sowerby, Sen.'
Differing from Ch, Stokesii in the fineness of the sculp-
ture ; it nevertheless resembles that species in general ap-
pearance. It is oval, keeled, depressed ; the central areas
finely striated in a longitudinal direction ; the lateral areas
and terminal valves radiated with fine ridges, branching like
bunches of twigs ; the scaly margin is green, banded with
mingled black and green, and the general colour is olive-
green, variegated near the centre with tortoise-shell brown.
Chiton patulus. (Con. Illus. fig. 134).
Ch. testa lata, subcarinata ; valvis tenninalibus et areis lateralibus ra-
diatim rugulosis ; areis centralibus longitudinaliter sulcatis ; margine
squamoso. Long. 3 ; lat. 2|, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. Cuming.
The sculpture of the lateral areas is much coarser than in
the last species, and the shell is much broader in proportion
to the length ; it is subcarinated, with the central areas
striated ; the lateral areas bordered by two flat ridges, with
two or three intermediate, coarsely granulated, irregular
ridges running into each other at intervals. General colour
tortoiseshell brown, with black and white dorsal bands.
Margin scaly, dark bottle-green, clouded with black.
Chiton evanidus, (Con. Illus. fig. 139).
Ch. testa subelongata, carinata, dorso elevato, laevi ; areis centralibus
ad latera tenuissime striatis, areis lateralibus subelevatis, granuloso-striatis,
concentrice subundulatis ; margine squamoso. Long. 2^ ; lat. 1^, poll.
New Holland. Mus. Metcalf.
Rather long in proportion to its width, dorsal angle obtuse,
valves straight, central areas smooth in the middle, faintly
striated at the sides ; lateral areas rather elevated, with ra-
diating granular stri<B. General colour faded leaf, tinged at
the apices with rose, margin scaly.
Chiton tenuistriatus. (Con. Illus. fig. 135).
Ch. testa ovali, carinata ; dorso elevato ; valvis omnino tenuissime ra-
diatim striatis ; margine squamoso. Long. 1 ; lat. t^, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. Stainforth.
Vol. IV.— No. 42. n. s. 2 n
292 DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CHITONS.
A neat little shell of a dark olive-green colour, oval, ele- .
vated, nearly smooth in appearance, but finely striated ; mar-
gin lighter green than the rest of the shell ; inside blueish-
green.
Chiton Cymhiola. (Con. lllus. fig. 45).
Ch. testa carinata, laevi ; dorso elevato ; areis lateralibus acutissime ele-
vatis; margine squamoso. Long. 1^; lat. \^^ poll.
Cape of Good Hope.
This species is smooth, strongly keeled, elevated ; the la-
teral areas are much relieved and separated from the central
areas by a sharp angle. The margin is scaly. Colour varies
from green to purple, brown, and grey zigzag markings on a
greenish or cream-coloured ground ; the inside is green.
Chiton sculjptus. (Supp. PI. xvi. fig. 5).
Ch. testa subelongata, depressa, antice sub-attenuata ; dorso rotuudato ;
areis centralibus Isevibus, ad latera striatis ; areis lateralibus, costis exfo-
liatis radiatim ornatis ; margine laevi. Long. ^ ; lat. t^, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. Stainforth.
A beautiful little shell, remarkable for'^the exfoliated sculp-
ture of the lateral areas, on each of which there are three
radiating series of strongly relieved lamina. The central
areas are nearly smooth, except at the sides, where they
are slightly striated. The margin nearly smooth, light brown,
irregularly striped with grey ; and the general colour is
creamy white.
Chiton versicolor. (Con. lUus. fig. 75, 122).
Ch. testa oblonga vix carinata, antice subattenuata : areis centralibus
ad latera striatis ; areis lateralibus radiatim striatis; striis ad margines ra-
mosis ; margine minutissime squamoso. Long. 1 ; lat. i, poll.
Hab. ? Mus. Stainforth. Var. Alb. Dr. Stanger.
This species is oval, oblong, rather narrower in front, the
central areas nearly smooth in the middle, and striated at the
sides ; lateral areas covered with slight radiating ridges,
which branch off towards the edges. The colours are suffi
ciently variable to justify the name given above ; several
varieties in the collection of Mr. Stainforth being variegated
with rose, green and grey ; and one communicated by Dr.
Stanger, nearly white, with grey spots.
DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW CHITONS. 293
Chiton lyratus. (Con. lUus. fig. 126).
Ch. testa ovali, laevi ; dorso subangulato ; areis lateralibus subelevatis,
laevibus ; areis centralibus ad latera longitudinaliter lyratis ; margiue
lato, minute squamoso. Long. 1^ ; lat. j|, poll.
Hab. ? M us. Cuming.
This shell is so thin as to be nearly transparent; it is
smooth, rather angulated in the centre ; the lateral areas
smooth, slightly elevated ; the central areas marked with
faint longitudinal ribs. The margin is covered with regular
minute scales. The general colour is drab, variegated with
brownish concentric lines at the sides, and reddish-brown
dorsal bands on some of the valves.
Chiton lentiginosus. (Con. Illus. fig. 120).
Ch. testa ovali, carinata, laevi ; dorso elevato, areis lateralibus incon-
spicuis ; colori fulvescente brunnea, maculis cseruleis, rotundatis, ornata ;
margine minute squamoso. Long, f ; lat f , poll.
Australia. Mus. Dr. Stanger.
Remarkable for the regular rounded blue freckles scattered
over the yellowish-brown ground. The shell is oval, smooth,
keeled, with the valves straight, and the lateral scarcely dis-
tinguished from the central areas. The margin is covered
with minute scales.
Chiton concinnus. (Con. Illus. fig. 117, 118).
Ch. testa ovali, lata, subdepressa, minutissime granulata, subcarinata ;
valvis rectis ; areis lateralibus inconspicuis ; margine lato, minute squa-
moso. Long, i ; lat. f , poll.
Chonos. Mus. G. B. Sowerby, Sen.
A very neat, small, dark-coloured species ; granulated, but
so minutely as to appear smooth. It is distinctly keeled, yet
depressed. The lateral areas are not very distinctly sepa-
rated from the central ; the margin is broad and scaly ; the
colour dark olive, in some specimens nearly black ; inside
green.
Chiton Jimhriatus. (Con. Illus. fig. 137).
Ch. testa ovali, depressa, lata; areis centralibus tenuissime granoso-
lineatis ; areis lateralibus valvisque terminalibus tenuissime cancellatis ;
margine minutissime granulato. Long, f^, ; lat. |^, poll.
Peru. Mus. Cuming.
The sculpture of this very pretty little species resembles
BH
294 FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG.
the finest lace-work. The shell is rather flat, and regularly
oval ; the central areas finely and granularly striated ; on the
lateral and terminal areas, the radiating ridges are so regu-
larly intercepted by concentric lines, as to present a cancel-
lated appearance. The margin is apparently smooth, but the
lens discovers very minute sandy granulations ; its colour is
brown, banded with darker patches. The general colour of
the shell is creamy- white, variegated with red.
Chiton atratus. (Con. lUus. fig. 57, 58).
Ch. testa ovali-oblonga, laevi, sul)carinata ; valvis sutrectis, subrostratis;
areis lateralibus inconspicuis ; margine laevi. Long. 1 ; lat. i, poll.
Falkland Islands. Mus. Miller.
The smooth, narrow, slightly angulated species above de-
scribed, is of a blackish brown colour ; the lateral areas are
not distinctly marked, except by rays of lighter colour in
some specimens on them, and on the terminal valves. The
margin is smooth.
May, 1840.
Art. Yl.—On the Fossil Shells of the Crag. By S. V. Wood,
Esq., F.G.S.
( Continued from page 234.^
a. Inequilateral^ ligamental pit at the angle ; edge crenulated.
Nucula nucleus, Fleming. PI. xiv. fig. 1.
Area nucleus^ Linn. Syst.
Red crag, Sutton. Coralline crag, Sutton.
This shell is not common in the red crag, although very
abundant in the coralline deposit. It exhibits a well marked
identity with the British variety of Lamarck's Nucula mar-
garitacea ; and though this species appears to have existed
fi-om the commencement of the tertiary period, the specimens
from the Paris basin, as well as those from the London clay,
are much larger than those of the crag ; a condition perhaps
depending upon the reduction in temperature which the cli-
mate of this part of the globe is supposed to have undergone,
since the eocene strata were deposited.
m.
0
S^^.^ r-.'ii^,
./:/'. r. \-nyr,/,v />.
FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG. 295
h. Ligamental pit at the angle^ edge entire.
Nucula trigonula, Nob. PI. xiv. fig. 3.
Shell ovato-deltoidal, tumid, smooth, umbo prominent, margin crenulated ;
lunule embedded, convex in the middle. Longitudinal diameter, i§ ;
transverse diameter, \ of an inch.
Coralline crag, Sutton.
Posterior side truncate and straight, the centre of the lu-
nule only projecting beyond a line drawn from the umbo to
the extremity of the ventral margin ; anterior side angulated ;
from six to eight teeth on one side of the ligamental pit, and
from twelve to fifteen on the other, with a sub-carinated dor-
sal projection; no vestige of longitudinal st^^ice externally,
except when the outer coating is removed. This shell differs
from Nucula trigona, ' Min. Con.' tab. 192, fig. 5, in being
more tumid, — in the posterior side being more truncated, and in
the umbo terminating in an acute angle. Fifty specimens of
this fossil in my possession preserve such uniformity of cha-
racter as to warrant its estabhshment as a distinct species.
Nucula tenera, Nob. PI. xiv. fig. 2.
Shell subtriangular, smooth, margin entire. Longitudinal diameter, f ;
transverse diameter, ^ an inch.
Mammaliferous crag. South wold. Red crag, Bawdsey.
Bawdsey, a village on the Suffolk coast, is the only red
crag locality from which I have obtained this shell: it closely
resembles Nucula nucleus in shape, but it is destitute of lon-
gitudinal stricB, and has the margin entire. Area tenuis,
Montague, 'Test. Brit.' Suppl. page ^Q, tab. 29, fi^. I, ap-
proaches this fossil in most of its characters, differing only in
having the dorsal margin more rounded, and in having but
fifteen teeth, the crag species possessing upwards of twenty ;
six or seven on one side of the ligamental pit and fourteen
or fifteen on the other. Many of the specimens from the
crag appear as if they had been concentrically striated, but
this arises from their altered state, two or three in my posses-
sion being quite smooth. This shell appears to connect the
two species above referred to, having the contour of the former
with the entire margin and delicacy of the latter.
Nucula Cobboldics, 'Min. Con.' tab. 180, fig. 2.
Mammaliferous crag, Bramerton. Red crag, Sutton.
The red crag specimens, jlidging from those which T have
296 FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG.
seen, are flatter than those from the mammahferoiis deposit.
The specimen mentioned by Sowerby as having been found
at Roydon, Norfolk, is an error, there being no crag within
many miles of that place. Roydon was at one time the resi-
dence of my late friend, the Rev. G. R. Leathes, a well-known
collector of the crag fossils, and in this way the mistake pro-
bably had its origin. This shell, when found in the mam-
maliferous crag, has the valves occasionally in contact, and in
a state of preservation which shows that they are regularly
and concentrically striated. Specimens are now and then
found much thickened internally, leaving two deep, sub-oval,
muscular impressions : there is a very small sinus in the im-
pression of the mantle on the shorter side, which, on that ac-
count, I suppose to be also the posterior side.
NuculalcBvigata, ' Min. Con.' tab. 192, figs. 1, 2.
Red crag, Walton Naze. Coralline crag, Sutton.
This shell has been found plentifully at Walton, but I have
only a few small specimens from the coralline crag. It is
perfectly smooth externally, free from markings of any kind,
and a more transverse shell than the preceding ; my largest
specimen measures nearly an inch and a half across its wid-
est diameter. The figures of these two shells are so correctly
given in the * Mineral Conchology,' that any further represen-
tation is unnecessary.
c. Sub -equilateral y ligamental pit sub-central, edge entire.
Nucula ohlonga^ ' Min. Con.' tab. 180, fig. 1.
Red crag, Bawdsey.
This I presume to be a rare fossil, not having found more
than half a dozen specimens, and those all at the above loca-
lity : niine are all adult shells, being much thickened inter-
nally. The figure above referred to is excellent, but no men-
tion is made of the markings which ornament the exterior,
consisting of slightly undulating lines running in an oblique
direction, and at an angle of about 30° with an imaginary
line drawn through its transverse diameter. A shell from the
Arctic Ocean, now in the British Museum, figured and de-
scribed in the ' Zoological Journal,' vol. iv. p. 359, pi. 9, f. 1,
under the name of Nuc. arctica, appears identical with this
species ; itis,however, rather thinner and smaller, a difference
which may depend upon climate or other incidental causes.
There is asmall^iwws in the anterior margin of the crag shell
(at least in my specimens), which T did not find in the recent
FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG. 21^7
Nucula just referred to, yet I cannot help thinking that a
few more specimens of each of these would establish the
specific identity of the two. The muscular impressions in
the crag fossil are rendered indistinct by its internal thicken-
ing.
Nucula ohlon^oides, Nobis, PI. xiv. fig. 4.
Shell ovato-lanceolate, transverse, sub -inequilateral, posterior side acu-
minated, anterior rounded, lunula lanceolate, edge entire. Longitudinal
diameter f ; transverse diameter, \\ inch.
Mammal iferous crag, Bramerton. Red crag, Butley
(Suffolk.)
This Nucula appears to be quite distinct from the preced-
ing, for which it has nevertheless been mistaken. I have
never seen the young of the ohlonga, but the following cha-
racters induce me to regard it as distinct fi:om that species.
It is more equilateral ; the difference between the anterior
and posterior portions of the ohlonga being at least in the
proportion of two to one, while in this there is but a trifling
difference. The teeth also are more equally divided than in
Nuc. ohlonga. It has a smooth exterior in the place of the
diagonal lines which ornament that shell ; there is also no
sinus in the anterior margin, and the pallial scar reaches
nearly as far as to a line drawn from the ligamental pit to the
centre of the ventral margin ; the lines of growth are the
only exterior marks that I have been able to detect.
Nucula semistriata, Nobis, PI. xiv. fig. 5.
Shell transversely ovate, sub-inequilateral, thin, posterior side acumi-
nated and striated transversely, anterior side rounded and smooth, margin
entire. Longitudinal diameter ^ ; transverse diameter 1 inch.
Coralline crag, Sutton.
I have not seen this from any other locality than the one
named, but it is by no means rare at that spot : specimens
in size about half that of the above may be obtained in con-
siderable numbers. One half of the shell is strongly striated
except on the posterior slope, where the strice are nearly ob-
literated ; these striae, or rather ridges, with spaces between
them forming small furrows, are only on the posterior side,
as if that half of the shell had been buried in the sand, while
the other had been worn smooth by exposure. The lunula
is large, lanceolate, and smooth, with a distinct corselet of a
lanceolate form; the muscular impressions are indistinct;
and the shell being thin, the transverse fun'ows are visible on
298 FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE CRAG.
the inside. The deltoid ligamental pit varies much in shape,
and cannot be depended upon as a character, some speci-
mens having a central elevation dividing the pit into two
parts. Nucula ohlonga has nearly twice the number of teeth
on one side that it has on the other, whereas in this species
they are nearly equal in number.
Nucula minuta, PL xiv. fig. 6.
Area minuta, Mont, page 140.
„ caudata, JJonovaji, Brit. Shells, tab. 78.
Red crag, Sutton.
Of this shell I have found but one specimen, which, how-
ever, is in good preservation, and is probably identical with
the British recent species. It is however rather more trans-
verse, the posterior or acuminated side being a little more
produced, thereby removing the umbo farther from the centre,
but from the examination of only a single specimen I should
not venture to regard these distinctions as specific. I found
it myself in undisturbed red crag, three feet beneath the super-
incumbent sand.
Nucula pygmcBa. PI. xiv. fig. 7.
Nucula pygnuEa, Goldfuss, Pet. Tab. 125, fig. 17.
„ tenuis, Philippi, page 65, tab. 5, fig. 9.
corhuloides. Smith, Wern. Mem., viii. t. 2, f. 10, 10*.^
Shell transversely ovate, gibbous, smooth, thick, sub-equilateral, one
side slightly acuminated, the other rounded, umbo prominent, margin
entire. Longitudinal diameter ^ ; transverse diameter ^ of an inch.
Coralline crag, Ramsholt and Sutton.
I have given the above as synonymes, presuming all to
refer to the same species, although there are some slight dif-
ferences which require notice. The crag shell appears to be
smaller than any of those quoted, and among fifty specimens
that I possess, not one is more than two-thirds the size of the
Nucula given me by Mr. Smith, and which was obtained by
him in the deposit exposed by the cutting for the Greenock
railway. In the description by Philippi, the term " tenuis-
sima^'' is used for his shell, a character the present does not
merit. I would have adopted Mr. Smith's name, but that I
1 Figured pi. 2, f. 10. 10*, in a pamphlet entitled " On the last Changes
in the relative levels of the Land and Sea in the British Isles," by James
Smith, Esq., of Jordan Hill, published in the Memoirs of the Wernerian
Nat. Hist. Society, vol. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW MARSUPIAL MAMMAL, 299
consider the shell, from the figure and short description Gold-
fuss has given, to be the same. My shell is strong, tumid,
and perfectly smooth ; hinge-line broad, forming a large ob-
tuse angle with the umbo : eight to ten strong teeth (some
of which are prominent and angulated) on each side of a
small ligamental pit ; lateral muscular impression large, that
of the mantle indistinct. The Scottish shell has the acumi-
nated side larger than the crag one, and the figure in Gold-
fiiss is more oval in shape, but the contour is, I think, insuffi-
cient to indicate a specific difference, my own specimens
varying, in that respect, among themselves ; the younger ones
being less acuminated than those which I suppose are adult.
The valves from Ramsholt are often found united together by
their large prominent teeth, which, in arrangement, correspond
with the Scottish shell ; the interior of the Sicihan one is not
represented.
Art. VII. — Description of a neiu Marsupial Mammal, belonging
to the genus Phascogale. By. G. R. Waterhouse, Esq., Cu-
rator to the Museum of the Zoological Society, &c.
The little quadruped I am about to describe, belongs to that
section of Australian mammals (order Marsupalia), which
M. Temminck' separates from the genus Dasyurus of Geof-
froy S. Hilaire,* under the name Phascogale ; the type of
this genus being the Didelphis penicillatus of Shaw, ^ which,
through the kindness of Professor Owen (who allowed me to
examine the original specimen sent over by White, and now
in the Museum of the College of Surgeons), I am enabled to
state, is the Tapoa Tafa, or Tapha, of White.* The identi-
fication of Phase, penicillata with the Tapoa Tafa, is of some
little importance, since the Dasyurus Tafa of Geoffroy, which
appears in most works as a distinct species, is founded upon
White's animal.
In Temmincks' ^ Monographies' a second species oi Phas-
cogale is described, that author having placed in this genus
the Dasyurus minimus of Geoffroy ; but as he had not the op-
portunity of examining the dentition of this animal, he felt
doubtful whether it might not prove to be the young of a spe-
cies, the adult state of which remained to be discovered.
* ' Monographies de Mammalogie,' torn. 1. p. 66.
2 ' Annales clu Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, torn. 3. p. 353.
3 ' Gen. Zool.,' vol. 1., part 2, p. 502., tab. 1 13, fig. 1.
* Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales.
Vol. IV.— No. 42. n. s. 2 o
300 DESCRIPTION OF A NEW MARSUPIAL MAMMAL.
In the * Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' for July,
1837, two other species of this genus are described by my-
self, under the names Phase. Jlavipes, and Phase, murina ;
of both these species I had an opportunity of examining the
dentition, and as I found them to be adult animals closely
allied to Didelphis minimus, it is almost certain that that
animal is also adult, since it would appear that it was the
smallness of its size, which led M. Temminck to believe it
might be young. I may mention, that one of the species
described by myself (the Phase, murina) is smaller than Did.
minimus, and that both the species agree in all essential par-
ticulars with the larger typical species, which latter differs
from others of the genus hitherto discovered in having long
hairs forming a kind of bush on the apical half of the tail.
I am now enabled to add a fifth species to the genus Phas-
eogale, and of which I have drawn up the following descrip-
tion. The original is in the museum of Mr. Swainson, who
has kindly permitted me to examine and describe it, and whose
name I have made use of, to distinguish the species.
Swainson's Phascogale. /
Phascogale Swainsonii, Waterhouse.
This species is rather larger than either the Phas. Jiavi-
pes or Phas. minima : its fur, instead of being, as in
Phas. Jlavipes, of a yellow-grey tint, is of a dark and rich
brown hue ; the under parts of the body are deep grey,
slightly grizzled with white, whereas in Phas. Jlavipes, the
under parts are yellow and white : the most important differ-
ences, however, consist in the more attenuated and elongated
form of the head, especially of the anterior portion ; the
teeth, nevertheless, form an uninterrupted series, hence each
tooth (especially the false molars), has a proportionately
greater antero-posterior extent. The distance from the fore-
part of the front incisors of the upper jaw to the hinder part
of the third true molar in Phase. Swainsonii) is 7j lines,
whilst in Phase. Jlavipes, the same measurement gives 6f
lines : the teeth are less powerful than in the animal last
mentioned, and the incisors of the upper jaw form an unin-
terrupted series, whilst in Phase. Jlavipes, there is an inter-
space on either side between the anterior pair of incisors
and the lateral ones. In the elongated and slender form of
the muzzle, and more delicate teeth, the present animal
evinces an approach to the Myrmeeohius ; its fur is mode-
rately soft, rather long and glossy, of a deep slate-colour
FOSSIL DRA.GON-FLY IN WARWICKSHIRE. 301
next the skin ; the hairs are most of them narrowly annu-
lated towards the apex with rich brown, or yellow-brown ;
the longer hairs are black ; on the under parts of the body,
the hairs (which, like those of the upper parts, are of a deep
slate-grey at the base), are slightly tipped with brownish-
white, or ash-colour ; the feet are covered with dark brown
hairs above (not yellow as in Phase. Jlavipes) ; the tail is
also dark brown, and on the upper side inclining to black ;
the hairs on this part are all short and adpressed.
There are other differences between the present species
and that with which we are comparing it, which may help to
distinguish them, I allude to the colouring of the head : in
Phase. Jlavipes, the upper lip, lower part of the cheeks, chin,
and throat, are white, and there is, moreover, a white spot
beneath the eye, whereas, in Phase. Swainsonii, no white is
visible, indeed the head is almost of an uniform colour with
the body, the hairs on the sides and upper parts are black,
slightly grizzled with yellowish, and on the chin and throat
they are grey, tinted with brownish, especially on the chin.
The specimen from which this description is drawn up, is
apparently a^^nale, and furnishes the following dimensions ;
length from nose to root of tail, 5" 2'" ; tail about 3" 5"' ;
head, about 1" 2"' ; tarsus to end of claws, 10 lines : it is
from Van Dieman's Land.
28, Leieester Square,
May 2Srd. 1840.
Art. VIIT. — On the occurrence of a Fossil Dragon-fly in the Lias
of Warwickshire. By H. E. Strickland, Esq., F.G.S., &c.
The accompanying drawing (fig. 11), represents a very perfect
wing of a Libelluline insect, lately found in the lias of
Warwickshire. It is the property of Mr. J. Gibbs of Eves-
ham, who has kindly lent it to me for examination and de-
scription. It exliibits a very distinct impression on the sur-
face of a slab of blue lias limestone, the wing being of a
pale brown colour, and the nervures a darker tint of the
same. The opaque spot which exists at the anterior margin
of the wing in most of the Lihellulidce, is here distinctly
marked, being of a much darker brown than any other part
of the wing.
This specimen appears to be the left anterior wing of the
insect. On comparing it with recent species of Lihellulidce,
it exhibits a close resemblance to them in the general ar-
302
FOSSIL DRAGON-FLY IN WARWICKSHIRE.
rangement of the nervures. It is well known that the in-
sects of this family present certain generic peculiarities in the
nervures at the base of the wings. In this respect the spe-
cimen before us exhibits characters most nearly allied to the
genus Mtshna, Fab., but approximating also to the structure
of Lihellula. These distinctions being more easily shown
by drawings than description, the reader is referred to the
figures, where the originals have all been carefully copied of
Fossil wing of jEshna liassina. Strickland.
the natural size. Fig. 11 shows the structure in the fossil
specimen ; fig. 12, in the recent Mskna grandis, and fig. 13,
Wing of jEshna grandis .
Wing of Lihellula depressa.
in Lihellula depressa. The dimensions of the fossil are
about one-third greater than those of Mshna grandis, one
of the largest of our British species, its length being 2 inches
1 Oj lines, and its greatest breadth 8 J lines.
It is proposed, for the sake of distinction, to denominate
this fossil insect JEtshna liassina.
The specimen before us furnishes, I believe, the first ex-
ample of an insect of this family in so old a formation as the
lias. It is well known that Lihellulcd occur in the lithogra-
phic stone of Solenhofen,^ which belongs to the upper part
of the oolitic series, and is the lowest rock in which these
insects have hitherto been found. The present specimen is,
therefore, unquestionably of great geological interest, espe-
cially when we contrast its close afiinity to existing forms,
with the extraordinary saurian, piscine, and molluscous
structures which were its contemporaries.
This specimen was found in the neighbourhood of Binton,
See Delabeche, ' Geological Manual,' p. 345, &c.
TUBE IN THE PARAMOUDRA.
303
near Bidford, in Warwickshire, where the beds of limestone
near the base of the lias are largely quarried for flooring, &c.
These beds of limestone, besides the usual Ammonites, &c.
of the lias, occasionally contain specimens of Ichthyosauri^
Plesiosauri, three or four species of fish, crustaceans, and
two or three species of ferns. The latter circumstance indi-
cates the proximity of land at the time of the deposition of
the strata, a supposition which is further borne out by the
fossil insect above described.
One of the species of fish found here appears to be a Cy-
cloid, and furnishes an exception to the generalization of
M. Agissiz, that no cycloidian fish occur below the chalk.
In the first series of this Magazine, vol. v. p. 549, is a
figure of a fossil fish from Wilmcote (misspelt Wilments),
near Binton. This specimen is now in the Warwick Museum,
and has been figured by M. Agassiz, under the name of Te-
tragonolepis angulifer.
The rock in which these fossils are found, is a fine-grained
blue limestone, dividing into thin slabs, resembling in tex-
ture the Solenhofen stone, and like it adapted to lithographic
purposes.
Cracomhe House, Evesham,
May 7th, 1840.
Art. IX. — JSfotice of the existence of a distinct Tube within the
hollows of the Paramoudra. By Robt. Fitch, Esq., F.G.S.
After the interest which has been felt upon the subject
of the Paramoudras or pot-stones of the chalk, through the
observations of Professors Buckland, Ehren-
berg, and other writers, I am surprised that
one fact in the history of these most singular
bodies should hitherto have escaped notice: —
I refer to the existence of a central tube
passing through the long axis of each chalk
nucleus, and as I am led to imagine, origi-
nally forming a connecting link between the
detached pieces of the entire column, as seen
in the accompanying section (fig. 14). In
this sketch I have represented the extremities
of the two Paramoudras in contact, as I have
frequently found this to be the case. Dr.
Buckland attributes their being so to accident,
remarking " sometimes the extremities of two
specimens are found in contact, but this seems
to be the result of accidental juxta-position, not of any ori-
304 TUBE IN THE PARAMOUDRA.
ginal connexion of the animal bodies." * Geol. Trans.,' vol. iv.
The superior terminal Paramoudra, I have always found
round and closed at the top, but upon breaking it, there will
be found in every specimen, the tube passing through from
the chalk into the substance of the flint, and coming out on
one side two or three inches below the top.
Mr. Lyell, in his paper read at the meeting of the British
Association, 1838, says that each Paramoudra contains inva-
7'iably the cylindrical nucleus of chalk : this is not always the
case, for during one of my visits to the pit at Horstead last
October, I was breaking a specimen for examination, when,
instead of finding chalk, I found it flint throughout, and the
hollow tube quite silicified passing through the centre, as I
have invariably found it passing through the chalk nucleus.
I have since found another similar specimen at Whittingham.
I have observed in the chalk nucleus, several Ventriculites,
Ananchytes, Plagiostoma spinosa, Terehratula octoplicata,
and indeed, most of the fossils common in our chalk ; and in
almost all the specimens that I have broken, have found mass-
es of Pyrites usually attached to the flint, but projecting
into the chalk nucleus ; occasionally I have observed the
belemnite passing through the flint, and entering the chalk
nucleus.
Norwich, Feb. 10, 1840.
[Can this curious tube be in any way connected with the aggregation
of flinty matter forming the paramoudral column ? If the pot stones
were originally sponges, or organic bodies of any kind, how comes it that
when broken they display no structure, or at any rate, nothing which will
distinguish them from the ordinary nodula or tabular chalk-ilints ?
After spending a morning in the chalk-pit at Horstead, near Norwich,
and breaking a considerable number of the Paramoudras, we found the
tube present in every instance ; sometimes however, so nearly obli-
terated as to be only traceable by the discoloration of the chalk around
its original site. The tube varies in diameter from the thickness of an
ordinary-sized quill, to that of the finger. The wall of the tube is gene-
rally of a green colour, and about as thick as the rind of an apple ; the
cavity is filled with chalk. Mr. Bowerbank finds it to consist of siliceous
particles. The mode in which the tube quits the chalk, and passes through
the flint cap of the terminal Paramoudra is very remarkable. We believe
the sole merit of this discovery to rest with our correspondent Mr. Robt,
Fitch.]— Ed.
ON AFFINITY AND ANALOGY. 305
Art. X. — A few further Observations on Affinity and Analogy.
By J. O. Westwood, Esq., F.LS.
Coinciding, as I iiilly do, in many of Mr, H. E. Strick-
land's observations on the distinction existing between
the affinities and analogies of organized beings, allow me a
few lines to correct the erroneous impression which his illus-
tration (pp. 224 and 225) of my remarks, is likely to cause,
and to remove the notion that they contain a fallacy. The
object of my short article was to record my opinion, —
1. That relations of analogy and affinity are nothing else
than instances of more or less perfect resemblance : and
2. That as these relations are absolutely comparative in
their nature, it follows that both kind of relations may co-
exist at the same time between any two animals, according
to the animals compared therewith. These opinions may be
thus illustrated : —
1. The natural system depends not only upon the exist-
ence of a resemblance in essential peculiarities of structure,
or an agreement in the numerical majority of characteristics,
, whereby the species of a genus, the genera of a family, the
families of an order, or the orders of a class, are linked to-
gether, whence the origin of affinity, but also upon less per-
fect resemblances, whereby a species of one genus is com-
pared with a species in some other genus, family, or order, or
a genus in one family is compared with a genus in some
other family, and so on, whence the origin of analogy. Both
these relations are, however, necessarily dependent upon re-
semblance^ and the approximations oi which Mr. Blyth speaks,
not only prove the occasional difficulty of drawing the line
between the two kinds of relations, but also the tmth of the
Linnaean adage " Natura non facit saltus," a principle which
Mr. Strickland would adopt in the lower groups, but reject
in the higher.
2. The co-existence of these relations between any two
objects, is illustrated by the goat-sucker, bat, dragon-fly, and
Dioncua in the following manner. All these animals possess
inter se,\n their common character of fly-catchers, an analo-
gical relation ; but when I compare the two former, as verte-
brated animals, with the dragon-fly, as an invertebrated
animal, I find a higher relation (that is an affinity) existing
between the bat and the goat-sucker, than subsists between
either of these and the dragon-fly. When, however, I com-
pare these three animals with the plant, Dion(Ba, I find a re-
lation (that is an affinity) established between the dragon-fly
306 - ARGYNNIS APHRODITE.
and the two other animals, exactly as much higher than the
relation between these animals and the plant, as the relation
between the dragon-fly and the bat or the goat-sucker was,
when these two last-named animals were compared with the
dragon-fly. In other words, instead of saying, as Mr. Strick-
land makes me say, that " an affinity subsists between the bat
and dragon-fly, when compared with the DioncBa, and an
analogy when compared with the goat-sucker," I should say
that an affinity exists between the bat and dragon-fly, when
these two animals are compared with the vegetable, Dioncea,
and that an analogy exists between two such animals, when
the vertehrated bat is compared with the vertebrated goat-
sucker. Again, from the comparative nature of these re-
semblances, it appears to me that the relation which exists
between the goat-sucker and dragon-fly, when these two ani-
mals are compared with a Dioncea, is as close an affinity as
that which exists between the goat-sucker and the swallow,
when these two birds are compared with the bat. Independ-
ent of such comparison, the two birds are, of course, closer
in affinity than one of the birds and the bat. Whilst, as
Mr. Strickland justly remarks, the dragon-fly (independent of
its fly-catching habit), has no more affinity to the goat-sucker
than a beetle, a lobster, or any other annulose animal.
Argynnis Aphrodite, a British species. — I was very much
gratified by the appearance of Arg. Aphrodite in the illus-
trations to the Magazine, as a few years ago, while out en-
tomologizing, I saw, in a brake of thorns near a wood (Coed
Gwynion), a short distance from the town, a beautiful Argyn-
nis. I stood observing it some time ; I was within four feet
of it, so that I had a good opportunity of observation. It
being a stranger to me, I searched Duncan's ' British Butter-
flies' for it, but in vain : Arg. Paphia was the nearest, but
my stranger had a row of crescent-shaped marks towards the
external edges of its wing ; Paphia is represented with
spots instead of crescents in the above work. From the other
large Argynnides it differed in nothaving a black border on the
outside of the crescents. At the time I concluded that it was
Arg. Paphia, thinking that the figures of the markings might
not be exactly delineated, as it oftentimes happens in cheap
works, that they cannot take the time necessary for perfectly
drawing and colouring the plates ; but if the Argynnides in
the above work are truly figured, it is a moral certainty in my
own mind, that the butterfly I saw was Arg. Aphrodite. —
James Bladon. — Pontypool, May 1840.
THE MAGAZINE
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
JULY, 1840.
Art. I. — View of the Fauna of Brazil, anterior to the last Geologi-
cal Revolution. By Dr. Lund.
(Continued from page 259.)
Third Order MYOIDEA.
Family of Rodents.
The most numerous genus of this family is the genus Musy
of which I am acquainted with six species, indigenous to
this district, besides two which have been introduced, the
one from Europe {Mus. musculus), the other, as I suspect,
from Asia {Mus setosus, mihi.) The abundant remains of
this genus that I have collected from the caverns, prove its
existence in the ancient world. The species, difficult to dis-
tinguish by external characters, are still more so when we
have nothing more than fragments of their skeletons. Among
the remains hitherto obtained, I can distinguish two, or per-
haps three extinct species, without being able to speak more
decidedly as to their relation to those still existing.
Next to the genus Mus, with reference to the number of spe-
cies, follows that of Echimys [Loncheres, 111.), or spiny rats.
This genus comprises here four species, as distinguishable
from each other by their outward form, as they are closely
allied in their internal structure. The largest species [E.
apereoides, mihi), bears the most striking resemblance to the
Pered [Ancema Aperea) in size, colour, form, and whole ap-
pearance ; excepting that it is provided with a long and very
hairy tail. It has no trace of spines ; and its hair is of ordi-
VoL. IV.— No. 43. N. s. 2 p
308 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
nary quality. In several caverns I have found remains of a
fossil species, which approaches it very nearly, but at the
same time exhibits some specific distinctions, and moreover,
rather exceeds it in size. Another species [Ech. elegans, mihi)
is of the size of our large house-rat (Mus decumafms), to
which it bears a perfect external resemblance, and is furnished
with a very long, bare tail. It is armed with spines, and
displays a purity of colour that makes it a very pretty little
animal. I have discovered the fossil remains of a species,
which, judging by the fragments I possess, agrees well enough
with this. A third species {Ech. sulcidens) I am only ac-
quainted with from the abundant remains it has left upon the
surface of the soil in the caves, where they form no inconsi-
derable portion of the vast heaps of bones I have described
in my preceding communication. I have also found traces
of a species belonging to the fossil period, which seems to
agree very closely with this recent animal ; but I have again
to lament that the fragments I as yet possess, are not suffi-
cient to enable me to pronounce decidedly on its identity.
A fourth species {Ech. laticeps, mihi) is rare, and I have
not met with any trace of a corresponding species among
the fossil bones of these caverns.
Equally peculiar to South America as the preceding genus,
to which it also bears a near affinity, is the genus SynethereSy
of which there are only two known species, Syn. prehensilis,
L., and Syn. insidiosa, Licht. ;' the last of the size of a rab-
bit, the former twice as large. The antediluvian world also
possessed this animal form, but, with the character peculiar
to that ancient fauna, of a gigantic size ; for the fragments
that I have, betoken a creature very little inferior in bulk to
the wild hog. The fossil species, moreover, presents a nearer
resemblance to the smaller existing species {Syn. insidiosa)
than to the larger {Syn. prehensilis), so that it would be classed
by those zoologists who make a generic division between
these two species, under the genus Sphiggurus.
Each of the remaining genera of this family, viz. Sciurus,
Zepus, Anoema, Dasyprocta, Coelogenys, and Hydrochoerus,
contains at present but a single species.
Of the first genus I have hitherto found no trace whatever
' I cannot agree with the views of some of our modern zoologists who
make a generic distinction between these two species {Synetheres and
Sphiggurus, F. Cuv.), inasmuch as they sufficiently agree in their habits,
external appearance, and even in their internal structure, especially in their
dental system. The principal difference lies in the great development of
the nasal and frontal bones, which the former possesses, in common with
the Hystrices of the old world, but which is not seen in the latter.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 309
in the diluvian soil ; on the other hand, I have discovered
bones of a small and evidently rodent animal, which does
not agree vs^ith any of the genera at present existing in this
country.
The caves contain abundant fossil remains of the genera
Lepus and Anooma ; and still more of a species belonging to
the genus Dasyprocta ; all of which resemble more or less
closely the recent species of their respective genera. There
is, however, a second species of the last-named genus which
merits a particular notice, not merely from its much greater
rarity, but from its extraordinary size, which at first misled
me in the identification of its bones. The long bones of the
hinder extremities of this species are, in fact, almost as large
as those of the roebuck, for which reason I propose for it the
name of Dasy, capreolus, in order to connect with its spe-
cific title an idea of a size so unusual in this family.
The same relation which we have observed in the genus
Cutia, is repeated in the genus Capivar. I find two extinct
species of this genus ; the one identical with that now existing,
the other, on the contrary, of astonishing size. I propose
for this last, the name Hydrochcerus sulcidens, because its
incisors, instead of being smooth, as in the living species,
are furnished on their anterior surface with a number of lon-
gitudinal furrows, separated by parallel, rifle-like ridges. It
approached the very considerable dimensions of five feet in
length, so as to stand exactly midway between the existing
species of this genus, and the giant of South America's recent
fauna, the tapir.
I conclude my brief survey of this family with a genus
that requires a more detailed examination than the former,
on account of the important light it throws upon the ancient
fauna, and its relation to the recent ; I mean the genus Paca. '
The remains of this genus, in a fossil state, are found in the
soil of most of the Brazilian caves : I have endeavoured, in
my description of that of Cerca Grande, to convey some idea of
the astonishing extent to which they are there amassed. A
cursory examination of these remains showed me no essen-
tial difference from the recent Paca. We have already, in
our survey of the previous families, met with fossil remains
that seemed to agree more or less accurately with existing
animals, but whose complete identity we were prevented from
determining by the imperfect state of the fragments. But it
is particularly in the family now under review, that this diffi-
culty so frequently occurs ; the genera Echimys, Anwma,
LepiiSf and Dasyprocta, have furnished examples of this.
What has thus occurred to myself in the determination of the
' Coelogenys.
810 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
species of the extinct fauna of this continent, has also
happened to those who have been occupied in similar
researches in the old world ; and the important question
yet remains unanswered, whether in fact species identically
the same, can be shown as belonging to these two periods.
The genus now under consideration, seems likely to afford
a solution to this question, on at least one point. On
the one side, the complete identity with the living spe-
cies which the first view of the fossil remains of this genus
exhibited, seemed to authorize me to consider it in the same
light as those already described as coinciding more or less
with existing genera ; while on the other hand, the extraor-
dinary abundance and perfect state of the materials for
comparison, which I possessed of this genus, far exceeding
those at the disposal of any former zoologist, enabled me
to decide the point, so far as it referred to the corresponding
species of this district, with an accuracy which could not
leave any room for doubt or uncertainty. Two subsequent
visits to that remarkable cave, and long- continued exca-
vations, had so multiplied my materials, that I was enabled to
enter upon the investigation with more or less perfect re-
mains of above a hundred individuals, of all ages.
The result of these examinations was equally surprising
and conclusive. In spite of the close correspondence in
every other part of the skeleton, a more exact consideration
of the skulls, proved that the vast number of the fossil re-
mains of this genus consisted of two species, both of which
are very distinct from the living Paca. One of these I call
Coelogenys laticeps, from the circumstance of the zygomatic
arches being posteriorly so far retired from the skull, that it
acquires the appearance of being pressed flat. The other
species I have already described under the title of Coelogenys
rugiceps, a name that well becomes it. In this species the
glenoid cavities and adjoining zygomata are so extraordi-
narily developed, that these same anatomical relations in the
existing species seem to be only a feeble indication of the
almost monstrous development that gives the skull of this
species so peculiar a character. Both these species appear
to have been very common in those olden times ; but much
rarer are the remains of a third species, Coelogenys ma-
jor, which considerably surpasses both the former in size,
and which, in this respect, is not inferior to the living Ca-
pivar.
These examinations of the genus Paca, which, from their
completeness, may serve for the foundation of the subsequent
comparisons, give the same relations for this genus, that we
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 311
have already remarked in the genera Cutia and Capivar ;
namely that the ancient fauna possessed two subordinate
forms of this genus, of which one shows a striking agreement
with the existing species, while the other repeats it on a mag-
nified scale. The first of these subordinate forms comprises
two species in the genus Paca ; whereas in the two last-
named genera, we are only acquainted w^ith a single species
of each, most probably in consequence of the imperfect state
of our materials. How far this subordinate form is to be
considered as specifically identical with the existing animal,
we have been able to decide with certainty in the genus
Paca ; and we are entitled, at least for the present, to extend
this result not only to the other genera of this family, which
are found similarly circumstanced, but still more to those out
of it, in which the resemblance between extinct and living
forms is much less obvious. With reference to the numeri-
cal relations of this family in the present and former periods,
we see that only one of the existing genera is absent from
the list of the fossil genera, namely that of squirrels. The
contrary could scarcely have been expected. The squirrel
is an animal whose habits and haunts entirely protect it from
the pursuit of the larger predaceous beasts ; and that it evi-
dently also very seldom becomes the prey of birds, I con-
clude from the circumstance of my having never seen ajiy
trace of it in those heaps of bones that are formed in the
caves from the remnants of the food of the Strix perlata.
The absence hitherto of this genus, therefore, from the list of
fossil species, does not warrant us in concluding that this
form was in reality non-existent in those former times : on
the contrary we may suppose, with a high degree of proba-
bility, that inasmuch as this family presented so perfect an
agreement in those ages with what it now contains, neither
was this form wanting.
In addition, there appears on the list of the extinct fauna
a genus which is not now found here ; whence it seems that
the greater variety or richness of generic forms, which for-
merly characterized all the families we have yet considered,
also extends to this. Of the nine genera whereof this family
now consists, six are peculiar to this continent ; the Capi-
var, Paca, Cutia, Perea, Synetheres, and Echimys. All
these genera are again found in the extinct fauna of this dis-
trict : and we thus obtain one of the most beautiful and con-
clusive arguments for a result we have already frequently
insisted on, namely, that the extinct fauna of this continent
was a true prototype of the existing races. Before I proceed
to compare the number of species of this family for the two
312 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
periods, I think it right to add a few remarks respecting the
conditions in which the fossils are found. The remains of
the larger kinds appear imder the same circumstances as the
former family, that is, scattered about in the soil of the ca-
verns, and gnawed ; in short, exhibiting unequivocal marks
of having been dragged in by beasts of prey. Occasionally,
also, I have found the bones of smaller kinds similarly cir-
cumstanced, and intermixed with the remains of the larger
animals ; so that I am led to conclude that these also have,
in some instances, served for food to the Carnivora. But
more frequently the remains of these lesser species are seen
separate from those of the greater, and forming a kind of
osseous conglomerate by themselves. I have in my former
paper given a detailed account of the remarkable masses of
bones which are collected in these caves, ev^en in our own
day, and which I have shown to be attributable to the Strix
perlata, Licht. Now, if we suppose an irruption of water
penetrating into these caverns, dispersing the heaps of bones,
and enveloping the scattered fragments in its sedimentary
soil, which, in the process of time, would be impregnated
with calcareous particles from the dripping of the roof, and
thus be converted into a perfectly hard mass, that would act
as a cement to the bones ; under such conditions we should
have the very breccia of which I have spoken. Indeed, the
resemblance between these osseous conglomerates, and the
heaps of bones above described, is so striking, that at the
first I was mistaken as to their respective age : ^ for the ani-
mals of whose remains they are composed, are in the main
the same, being principally species of the genera Mus, Echi-
mys, Anoema, or young individuals of Lepus. The total num-
ber of the species of this family that at present exist here is
eighteen ; whereas I have as yet discovered only sixteen be-
longing to the extinct fauna. The genus Mus constitutes a
third part of the whole existing number ; and it is precisely
this genus that gives the list of recent species its preponder-
ance over that of the fossil. But this present superiority of
the genus Mus, with regard to the number of species, in all
probability arises from our greater ignorance of the ancient
fauna. Long before I was acquainted with some of the re-
cent species of this genus, now existing here, I possessed
hundreds of fragments of their skeletons ; but among these
' Thus in my description of the cave of Maquine, I have mentioned a
similar breccia in its second chamber, which I then considered to be a re-
cent formation ; but later investigations have convinced me that the os-
seous remains it contains belong to a more ancient fauna.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 313
I was unable to distinguish accurately more than two, or at
the most three species, whereas an examination of the Na-
tural History of the district soon convinced me of the exist-
ence of six species in these parts. If we then suppose the
same number of species to have existed in the former epoch,
which we know to exist now (a supposition evidently not too
over-stretched for a period that is proved to have been so rich
in animal forms), we have already a greater number of species
for that period than for the present ; and we are emboldened
to extend to this family also, the result to which the consi-
deration of all the other families has led us, namely, the su-
periority of the ancient fauna over the present, with reference
to variety of species. This conclusion, which must be con-
sidered as established for the family taken as a whole, is also
true for many of its genera, as for instance, Cutia, Capivar,
and Paca. We have already observed the same fact in one
family, in the instance of the genus Dicotyles ; and we are
thus conducted to the remarkable result, that not only are all
the families we have hitherto examined to be consider-
ed as mere fragments of what they were in former times,
but that also many of their genera are similarly circum-
stanced. A closer examination of these genera acquaints us
also with two other facts, not less important, namely, first
that they are all such as are now peculiar to the new world ;
and secondly, that such of their specific forms as have re-
presentatives in the existing fauna, are distinguished by a
smaller bulk than those which have no such representatives
now ; so that we are induced to regard the existing fauna as
a repetition of the extinct, on a diminished scale, with refer-
ence both to numbers and size.
Family of Marsupials,
Of this family there is only a single existing genus in this
district : it is, however, tolerably abundant in species. These
admit of two subdivisions according to their size ; one com-
prising the larger species, which both in habits and magni-
tude may be compared to our martens and polecats ; the
other the smaller, that scarcely exceed our mice and rats.
I am acquainted with two species in the first division, Didel-
phis aurita, Pr. Max., and Did. alhiventer, mihi, and three
in the latter. Did. mwina, Lin., Did. hrachyura, Pall., and
Did. pusilla, Desm. I find the fossil remains of species be-
longing to both these divisions, which, for the present, I
refer to only two species ; at the same time applying to this
genus the observations I made respecting the number of spe-
314 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
cies in the genus Mus of that former period, from which I
deduced the conclusion that we have no ground for beheving
this number to have been in reality less than it now is. The
fossils of this family are found under the same conditions as
those of the rodents ; the bones of the smaller kinds entering
into the composition of the fine osseous breccia, while those
of the larger species are intermixed with the bones of those
animals that have constituted the food of the beasts of prey.'
Family of Bats,
All the families we have hitherto considered, have either
exhibited to us a greater abundance both of genera and spe-
cies, in the former than in the present period, or have at least
allowed room for the supposition that they were not inferior
in this respect. It is otherwise with the family we now pro-
ceed to examine. Notwithstanding the most careful search,
I have not yet been able to discover the least trace of any
animal of this family in the sediment of the last great deluge
in this district ; and, as far as my information extends, the in-
vestigations of scientific men in the old world have been
equally unsuccessful. We might thus seem authorized to
conclude, that this family was really wanting in the pre-
existent fauna. I must, however, draw attention to several
circumstances that show the necessity of caution, before we
come to a positive decision on this point. Of all mammals, bats
are the least exposed to the attacks of predatory beasts ; and
we therefore could hardly expect to meet with their remains
among those of the animals that have served for their food.
It would, on the other hand, appear probable that they should
be the prey of owls, through whose instrumentality many of
the other bones have been introduced into our caves.
I have, however, shown, in my former communication, how
very small a quotient (only 1 per cent.) their bones consti-
tute in the composition of these heaps. If to these consi-
derations we add the fact that this family has left traces of its
existence in a still more ancient period of the world, in the
gypsum of Montmartre, we surely see that we must not, with-
out a very strong amount of proof, agree to so extraordinary
a result, as such an alternating appearance, disappearance,
» I possess a molar tooth of a large animal, which differs in its form
from the molars of all predaceous animals, and most nearly approaches
the hindmost teeth of Didelphis. Until I am fortunate enough lo obtain
more fragments of this remarkable animal, I abstain from guessing at its
proper place in the system. The tooth seems to belong to an animal of
the size of a large wolf.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 315
and re-appearance of an animal family vrould be. I there-
fore abstain for the present from offering any opinion w^hat-
ever on this subject ; although I must confess that this con-
stant failure of all my efforts to find in the soil of the caves
even a trace of any single individual of this family, has
already long excited my wonder ; the rather, because the
family of bats is now, next to the rodents and Ferce, the
most abundant in species within this district ; and, as I have
elsewhere shown, claims the first place on the list of those
animals which, in the present day, make caverns their resi-
dence.
Fourth Order, QUADRUMANA,
Family of Apes, (Simiae.)
If my attempts to discover any of the preceding family
(Bats), have hitherto been fruitless, so have they been re-
warded with most unexpected success, in the case of the
family I next proceed to consider. I am at length enabled
to solve the important question as to the existence of the
highest class of mammals in those ancient times to which
these fossils belong ; a question which has as yet been unan-
swered, or which most philosophers have thought right to
answer in the negative. It is certain this family was then in
existence ; and the first animal of the class recovered is of
gigantic size, a character belonging to the organization
of the period. It considerably exceeds the largest indivi-
duals of the orang-outang, or Chimpanzee, yet seen ; from
which also, as well as from the long-armed apes {Hylohates),
it is generically distinct. As it equally differs from the apes
now living here, I would place it for the present in a genus
of its own, for which I propose the name Protopithecus ;
with the specific distinction Prot. brasiliensis, from the quar-
ter where the first representative of this family saw the light
of day. I cannot omit this opportunity of recording a tra-
dition very general over a considerable extent of the interior
highlands, especially in the northern and western portions of
the province of St. Paul, and the Sertao of St. Francisco.
According to this current report, the district here mentioned
is even yet inhabited by a very large ape, to which the In-
dians (from whom the report comes), have given the name
of Caypore, which signifies the dweller in the wood. The
Caypore is said to be as big as a man, and covered over its
entire body and a portion of its face with very long curly
hair. Its colour is brown, with the exception of a white
Vol IV.— No. 43. n. s. 2 q
316 VIEW OF THE EXTINCT FAUNA OF BRAZIL.
mark on the belly, immediately above the navel. It climbs
up trees with facility, but most frequently keeps to the ground,
where it walks upright like a man. While young it is a quiet,
inoffensive creature, living upon fruits, and its teeth are shaped
like the human ; but as it increases in age, it becomes rapa-
cious and bloodthirsty ; it takes to chasing birds and small
mammals ; huge canine teeth project from its mouth, and it
is dangerous even to man. Its skin is impenetrable to ball,
everywhere except the white mark on its belly. The natives
dread this animal, and avoid the spots it frequents, which
are rendered evident by the Caypore's characteristic footmark ;
for, according to this same tradition, its foot is not formed
like that of man, but ends in a heel, both before and behind,
so that it is impossible to know in which direction the ani-
mal has gone. It is easy to recognize in many of the traits
of this mysterious creature's natural history, the childish em-
bellishments of a savage race. The meaning of an anterior
heel is evidently this ; that the forepart of the foot is not
broader than the hind, and that the impressions of the toes
are not distinguishable. As to the white spot on the belly,
I must remark that all the long-haired apes, now found here,
have the central part of the belly very thinly covered with
hair, so that when the hair is of a dark colour, and the skin
light, an effect is produced during the act of respiration, as
if there were a white spot on the stomach. The impene-
trability of its hide may seem fabulous ; but I really am
acquainted with a species of this family, the Guigo [Mycetes
crinicaiidus, mihi), which has this property. Thisundescribed
animal (which constitutes a remarkable link between Mycetes
and Cebus, inasmuch as it combines the vocal organs of the
former with the perfectly hairy tail of the latter), is provided
with a skin clothed with such long and felted hair, as to be
proof against shot on its back and sides. It would seem to
be well aware of its good buckler ; for instead of seeking
safety in flight, like other apes, on the approach of danger,
it rolls itself up in a ball, as if to cover the part least pro-
tected with hair, and thus bids defiance to the hunter's shot.
I have introduced this tradition, less on account of its zoo-
logical interest, than for the striking coincidence it displays
in many points with the stories related of the Pongo of Bor-
neo. If no such animal exists in the district where this tra-
dition is current, whence did it arise ? Is it possible that the
Indians have received it from their forefathers ? And may
this tradition then be considered as one more testimony to
the Asiatic origin of the first inhabitants of America ? I
have given this tradition as it is told by the Indians of the
SKETCPI OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH. 317,
province of St. Paul. In the Sertao of S. Francisco, it is
coupled with additions which weaken its zoological interest,
but give it another, as betraying the only trace I have met
with in this district, of a belief in fairy beings. According
to the natives of Sertao, the Caypore is lord over the wild
hogs ; and sometimes when one of these animals has been
shot, the voice of the enraged Caypore is heard in the dis-
tance, and the hunter at once quits his prey to save himself
by flight. The Caypore is said to have been seen in the
centre of a herd of swine, riding on the biggest : and indeed
has been sometimes described as a sort of Suscentaur, that
is, an ape above, and a hog below.
[This paper is rendered somewhat obscure from the circumstance that
the author mentions the same animal, in some instances, under two or
three different names, and he occasionally uses as generic terms, the names
by which certain species are known in their native country. The Capivar
is the Hydrochcerus Capyhara of most systematic works ; the Paca is the
Ccelogenys suhniger of authors ; Cutia, is generally used in the paper for
the genus Dasyprocta ; by Perea, is meant the Cavia Aperea or Cavia
Cohaya. Sy nether es and Echimys are systematic names, and have the ad-
vantage of being intelligible. The local names being spelt in all manner
of ways, and often very numerous, are difficult to recollect.]
(To he continued).
Art. it. — Sketch of the Flora of the neighbourhood of Ipswich :
including the Phcenogamic Plants, the Filices, and Equisetacece.
By William Barnard Clarke, M.D., F. B.S.Ed.
( Continued from page 130.^
COMPOSITE.
Tragopogon pratense. Fields ; frequently seen.
Helminthia echioides. Field-sides, at Walton and Felixtow, common.
SoNCHus arvensis. Fields, common.
oleraceus. Fields and waste places, common.
Leontodon Taraxacum. Fields, pastures, &c., everywhere.
Thrincia hirta. Banks by the side of the Orwell river, common.
Apargia hispida. Banks by the side of the Orwell.
HiERACiuM Pilosella. Sandy fields, common.
Lapsana pusilla. Sandy fields, local.
■ communis. Field-sides, common.
Cichorium Intyhus. Field and road-sides, common.
Arctium Lappa. Road-sides, common.
Carduus marianus. Road-sides, frequently.
Cnicus lanceolatus. Fields and road-sides frequently.
palustris. Pastures, &c., common.
arvensis. Fields and road-sides, common.
818 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH.
Onopordon AcantMum. Fields and road-sides, common.
Carlina vulgaris. Chalky meadows, rather local.
BiDENs tripartita. Wet spongy places, rare.
— ; cemua. Moist meadows, rare.
EuPATORiuM cannabinum. Sides of the Gipping, &c., common.
Tanacetum vulgare. Fields and road-sides, common.
Artemisia maritima. Walton shore, side of Orwell river, common.
gallica. Road-sides near Walton, common.
Absinthium. Road-sides at Freston, Belstead, &c., common.
vulgaris. Road-sides, very common.
Gnaphalium gallicum. Fields and road-sides, common.
germanicum. Fields, very common.
' minimum. Sandy fields, common.
CoNYZA squarrosa. Chalky districts, frequently.
Erigeron acre. Field-sides, occasionally. .
TussiLAGo Farfara. Sides of the Gipping river, frequently.
Petasites vulgaris. Sides of the Gipping river, common.
Senecio vulgaris. Fields and waste land, common.
" viscosus. Shore at Walton, occasionally.
■ sylvaticus. Road-sides, frequently.
tenuifolius. Fields and road-sides, in chalky districts.
Jacobtea. Meadows, very common.
Aster Tripolium. Marshy land by the side of the Orwell, common.
Pulicaria dysenterica. Sides of the Gipping, &c., common.
Bellis perennis. Pastures, &c., everywhere.
Pyrethrum Parthenium. Waste land, common.
Chrysanthemum segetum. Fields, frequently.
Matricaria Chamomilla. Field- and road-sides, common.
Anthemis arvensis. Fields occasionally.
AcHiLLJEA Millefolium. Fields and pastures, everywhere.
Centaurea Cyanus. Corn-fields, common.
• nigra.
CAMPANULACEJE.
Campanula rotundifolia. Fields and road-sides, common.
Tracheiium. Fields and thickets, on chalky soil, common.
ERICACEiE.
Erica Tetralix.
• cinerca.
Calluna vulgaris. ,
• Heaths, common.
OLEACEiE.
Ligustrum vulgare. Hedges, occasionally.
F R AXi N u s excelsior. Woods, common .
APOCYNACEJE.
ViNCA major. Hedges at Freston, local.
— — — — minor. Hedges, occasionally.
SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH. 319
GENTIANACE^.
Gentiana Amarella. Chalky fields, local.
ERYTHRiEA CentauHum. Woods, local.
Menyanthes trifoliata.
CONVOLVULACEiE.
Convolvulus Soldanella. Sandy places at Walton.
arvensis. Banks, road-sides, common.
sepium. Hedges, common.
BORAGINACEiE.
LiTHOSPERMUM arv€7ise. Fields, occasionally.
PuLMONARiA ttngustifoUa. Road-sides, local.
Symphytum tuberosum. Moist tanks, side of the Gipping occasionally.
EcHiuM vulgare. Waste ground, frequently.
Lycopsis arvensis. Fields and road-sides, common.
Anchusa sempervirens. Road-sides, not common.
Myosotis palustris. Side of the Gipping, common,
arvensis. Fields and hedge banks, common.
Cynoglossum officinale. Banks by the side of the Gipping, road-
sides, &c.
BoRAGO officinalis. Waste-ground, occasionally.
solanace^.
Verbascum Thapsus. Field-sides, frequent. ,
nigrum. Chalky districts, common.
Hyoscyamus niger. Road-sides near Ipswich, rare ; but very abundant
near Walton and Felixtow.
Datura Stramonium. Road-sides near gardens, hardly wild.
Solan UM nigrum. Waste-ground, frequently.
Dulcamara. Sides of ditches, near the Gipping, &c., common.
scrophulariace^ .
Antirrhinum majus. Walls, local.
.. Orontium. Fields frequently.
Linaria Cymhalaria. Walls, &c., near gardens.
Elatine. Corn-fields, frequently.
vulgaris. Hedges, common.
ScROPHULARiA nodosa. Woods and meadow-sides, frequently.
aquatica. Sides of the Gipping, common.
Digitalis purpurea. Bently woods, frequently.
Bartsia Odontites. Chalky fields, in abundance.
Euphrasia officinalis. Heaths and chalky places, common.
Rhinanthus Crista-galli. Sides of the Gipping, frequently.
Melampyrum pratense. Woods, common.
Pedicularis sylvatica. Moist meadows, occasionally.
Veronica serpyllifolia. Meadows, local.
Anagallis. Ditches, common.
Beccabunga. Side of the Gipping, common.
officinalis. Pastures, occasionally.
Montana. Woods, occasionally.
320 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH.
Veronica ChamcBdris
Chamcsdris. ) tt j i ,
hederifolia. j ^^^^^ ^^""^^^ common.
agrestis. Fields, occasionally.
arvensis. Fields, common.
LABIATE-
Mentha pip^ita. \ ^'^^^ ^^ ^^^ Gippmg, common.
Teucrium scorodonia. Roadsides, woods, common.
AjuGA reptans. Moist woods, common.
Ballota nigra. Hedges, common.
Galeobdolon luteum. Wood-sides, rather local.
Galeopsis Ladanum. Fields, frequently.
2-dcolor. JField-sides, occasionally.
Lamium album. Road- sides, &c., common.
amplexicaule. ] rr j x. t
^,.£1,,,..^.^ r Hedge-banks, common.
' purpureum. j ° '
incisum. Hedge-tanks, local.
Betonica officinalis. Watery lanes, occasionally.
Stachys sylvatica. Woods, common.
palustris. Sides of the Gipping, common.
Nepeta Cataria. Road-sides, near the village of Kersey, abundant.
Glechoma hederacea. Woods and hedge-banks, abundant.
Calamintha Nepeta. Hedge-banks, local.
Clinopodium vulgare. Woods, common.
Prunella vulgaris. Sides of lanes, occasionally.
Scutellaria galericulata. Side of the Gipping, frequently.
Salvia verbenaca. Road-sides, occasionally.
Verbena officinalis. Field- and road-sides, common.
OROBANCHACE.E.
Orobanche major. Sandy hills, amongst the roots of broom, occasionally.
minor. Clover-fields, extremely common.
PRIMULACE^.
Primula veris. Pastures, common.
elatior. Pastures, local.
■ vulgaris. Woods, common. ■■*
"H-OTTo^is. palustris. Ditches, local.
Glaux maritima. Salt marshes, near the Orwell.
Lysimachia Nummularia. Sides of the Gipping, rather local.
nemorum. Woods, frequently.
Anagallis arvensis. Uncultivated parts of fields, Sec, common.
tenella. Boggy parts of Nacton Heath, scarce.
Samolus Valerandi. Sides of ditches, local.
PLUMBAGTNACE-E.
Statice Armaria.
Li^n^m jSi^es of the Orwell, frequently.
SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH. 321
PLANTAGINACE^.
Plantago major. Fields and road-sides, common.
Tanceolata. ] Pastures and road-sides, very common.
cZo^us, ]^'^^^ ^^ *^^ ''^^^^ ^^^"' frequently.
CHENOPODIACE^.
Salsola Kali. Shore at Walton, frequently.
Chenopodium maritimum. Sides of the Orwell, common.
Bonus Henricus. ) n j -j • n
7 , ., h Road-sides, occasionally.
album. Road-sides, &c., common.
urbicum. Fields, occasionally.
Atriplex laciniata. Sides of the Orwell, frequently.
littoralis. Sides of the Orwell, common.
patula. Road-sides, &c., common.
angustifolia. Road- and field-sides, occasionally.
Beta maritima. Banks of the Orwell, common.
Salicornia herbacea. Shores of the Orwell, very common.
POLYGONACE^.
Polygonum amphibium. Sides of the waters of the Gipping.
■ Persicaria. Fields, &:c., common.
Hydropiper. Watery lanes and moist marshes, frequently.
aviculare. Road-sides, fields, &c., very common.
' Convolvulus. ) T-" ij • 11
Fagopyrum. } Fields, occsionally.
RuMEx Hydrolapathum. Sides of the Gipping, frequently.
crispus. Meadows, &c., common.
Acetosa. Meadows, common.
Acetosella. Hedge banks, &c., common.
EUPHORBIACE^.
Euphorbia Peplus. Fields, common.
exigua. Fields, on a chalky soil, common.
paralias. Walton shore, common.
Helioscopia. Cultivated ground, common
ies. Woods, common.
Mercurialis annua. Troublesome weed on cultivated soil.
perennis. Woods, common.
URTICACE^.
Urtica urens. Fields, road-sides, ^c, common.
dioica. Fields, roadsides, Sec.
Parietaria officinalis. Old walls, local.
HuMULus Lupulus. Hedges, frequently.
ULMACEiE.
Ulmus campestris. Woods and hedge-rows, common.
montana. Hedsfc-rows, scarce.
322 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH.
AMENTALES.
CUPULIFER^ OR CORYLACE-aE.
QuERCus Rohur. Woods and hedge-rows, common.
Fagus sylvatica. Woods, &c., common.
Castanea vulgaris. Woods, common.
CoRYLus Avellana. Woods, hedge-rows, &c., common.
BETULACEJE.
Betula alba. Woods, Sec, frequent.
Alnus glutinosa. Frequent in low damp woods.
SALICACE^.
PopuLus nigra. Woods, occasionally.
alha. Hedge-rows, &c., frequently.
tremula. Woods, &c., occasionally.
Salix fragilis. Marshes, occasionally.
cinerea. Woods and thickets, occasionally.
viminalis. Osier grounds, common.
alba. Marshes, common.
MONOCOTYLEDONES.
HYDROCHARACEiE.
Hydrocharis Morsus-rantB. Ditches by the side of the Gipping river,
common.
ALISMACE^.
^kGiTiiiKik sagittifolia. Ditches near Ipswich ; river Gipping, common.
Alisma Plantago. Ditches near Ipswich, common.
BUTOMACE^.
BuTOMUs umbellatus. River Gipping; ditches, frequently.
JUNCAGINACEJE.
Triglochin maritimum. Sides of the Orwell, frequently.
palustre. Sides of the Orwell and Gipping, occasionally.
ORCHIDACE^.
Orchis Morio. Pastures, common.
mascula. Woods, common.
latifolia. Pastures, rare.
' maculata. Pastures, occasionally.
a ABB SARI A bifolia. Meadows, local.
Ophrys apifera. Fields, local.
Listera ovata. Woods and thickets, on chalky soil, occasionally.
Nidus-avis. Woods, rare, but occasionally found.
SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH. 323
IRIDEiE.
Iris Pseudacorus. Ditches, common.
DIOSCORIACEJE.
Tamus communis. Woods and hedges, frequently.
LILIACEiE.
SCILLE^.
Ornithogalum Zm^^ww. Woods, local.
Hyacinthus non-scriptus. Woods and thickets, common.
MuscARi racemosum. Sandy fields, occasionally.
Allium ursinum. Moist woods at Freston, common.
vineale. Banks of the Orwell, common.
TULIPEJE.
Fritillaria Meleagris. Very common about Stoneham, ten or twelve
miles from Ipswich.
TYPHACEJE.
Typha latifolia. Ponds near Freston, local.
Sparc ANiuM ramosum. Sides of the Gipping, &c., common.
simplex. Sides of the Gipping, local.
ARACEiE .
Arum maculatum. Woods, sides of shady lanes, &c., common.
FLUVIALES, or NAIADACE^.
PoTAMOGETON natam.
JuiZs. } Ditches, frequently.
gramineum. Ditches, occasionally.
Zoster A murina. Orwell river, abundant.
PTSTIACE^.
Lemna minor. Ditches, extremely common.
trisulca. Ditches, local.
JUXCEJE.
LuzuLA campestris. Fields, common.
pilosa. Woods, frequently.
JuNcus conglomeratus. Marshes, common.
— lampo carpus. Moist heaths, occasionally.
bufonius. Shady wet places, frequently.
CYPERACE-E.
SciRPus lacustris. Sides of Gipping, frequently.
maritimus. Salt marshes, near Orwell river, common.
Carex intermedia. Sides of the Gipping, common.
stellulata. Sides of the Gipping, occasionally.
Vol. IV.— No. 43. n. s. 2 r
324 SKETCH OF THE FLORA OF IPSWICH.
Carex arenaria. Walton and Felixtow shore, common.
pendula. Woods, occasionally.
panicea. Moist parts of heaths, occasionally.
ccBspitosa. Sides of the Gipping, frequently.
m^ Zmpuliacea. }^^^^^ ^^ *^^ dipping, &c., frequently.
GRAMINACE^.
Anthoxanthum odoratum. Meadows, woods, &c., common.
Nardus stricta. Heaths, common.
A1.0PEC {] Rv s pratensis. Meadows, common.
geniculatus. Meadows by the side of the Gipping.
Phalaris arundinacea. Sides of ditches, &c., common.
Phleum pratense. Meadows, common.
arenarium. Sea shore at Walton and Felixtow, common.
Milium effusum. Fields and woods, common.
Agrostis Spica-venti. Fields, local.
llbT^^^' l^^e^ds and road-sides, frequently.
Aira ecBspitosa. Fields, &c., common.
Jlexuosa. Fields, occasionally.
HOLCUS moZ/w. )t-ii -J c
J ^Field-sides, &c., common.
Arrhenatherium avenaceum. Field-sides, common.
Me Lie A uniflora. Woods, occasionally.
PoA fiuitans. Sides of the Gipping, &;c., common.
aquatica. Sides of the Gipping, occasionally.
distans. Meadows, frequently.
rigida. Old walls, &c., in several places.
trivialis. Meadows, frequently.
pra ensts. I jyjgg^jQ^g common.
annua, j '
Briza media. Meadows, frequently.
Dactylis glomerata. Meadows, &c., veiy common.
Spartina stricta. Banks of the Orwell at Walton, common.
Cynosurus cristatus. Meadows, Sec, common.
Festuca duriuscula. Meadows, occasionally.
' pratensis. Meadows, common.
Bromus sterilis.) ,,17- ,
asper. | Woods, common.
. mollis. Meadows, &c., common.
Avena pratensis. Road- and field-sides, common.
Arundo Phragmites. Sides of the Orwell and Gipping, common.
Hordeum murinum. Meadows and road-sides, common.
pratense. Marshes, common.
Triticum repens. Fields and road-sides, common.
junceum. Sandy beach at Walton and Felixtow, common.
Brachypodium sylvaticum. Road-sides, &c., common.
LoLiuM^erewwe. Meadows, road-sides, &c., common.
GYMNOSPERMS.
CONIFERS.
PiNus sylvestris. Woods, common.
VARIATION OF COLOUR IN WILD PLANTS. 326
EQUISETACE^.
Equisetum arveme. Meadows, by the side of the Gipping, common.
palustre. Moist and boggy places, frequently.
Jiuviatile. Moist meadows, occasionally.
limosum. Ditches, common.
ACROGENS, ACOTYLEDONOUS, or CR7PT0GAMIC PLANTS,
POLYPODIACE^.
PoLYPODiuM vulgare. Road-sides and woods, common.
AspiDiUM cristatum. ) t> v xt.
spinulomm. P^^^^ ^^^^^'^ ^°«^"^^"-
aculeatum. Road-sides, rare.
angulare. Road-sides, occasionally.
Filix-mas. Road-sides, woods, &c., common.
Filix-fetnina. Moist woods, local.
AsPLENiuM Adiantum-nigrum. Woods, local.
ScoLOPENDRiuM vulgarc. Road-sides, local.
Pteris aquilina. Heaths, very common.
Blechnum boreale. Woods, local and scarce.
OPHIOGLOSSACE^.
Ophioglossum vulgatum. Meadows, local.
CHARACE.E.
Chara vulgaris. Boggy pools and ditches, common.
Art. III. — On the Variation of Colour in Wild Plants.
By Arthur Adams, Esq.
Varieties among the plants cultivated in our gardens, where
they are exposed to every unnatural influence which the in-
genuity of man has invented, to divert them from their usual
mode of growth, have received all the attention so wonderful
and interesting a subject demanded at the hands of the culti-
vators of Botany. But even among those lovely productions
whose only nurse is the gentle Flora, we occasionally meet
with aberrations from the normal structure, departures from
the laws that ordinarily govern the world of vegetables. Of
these, the most numerous are alterations in the colouring of
the floral envelopes, and deseiTe our consideration.
The causes which give rise to, and modify the production of
326 VARIATION OF COLOUR IN WILD PLANTS.
colour in plants, and which dispose their tints to arrange them-
selves in a determinate manner, are for the most part still very
obscure. We know that however diversified the tints of a
flower may be, yet there is, in reality, no actual intermixture
of colour ; each hue is pure, distinct in itself, and accurately
defined, although they frequently deliciously harmonize and
soften into one another : take, for instance, a petal of the
tulip, or the party-coloured ranunculus of our gardens, where
the distinctions of tint are beautifully seen. Here we should
find, on a minute examination, that their brilliant and varied
hues are owing to the deposition of a colouring matter on the
inside of the cellules, of which their tissue is composed. The
tissue, being colourless and transparent, allows the colouring
matter to shine through it, and produce the dazzling effect
we witness. It appears, however, now, to be pretty well as-
certained, from the researches of Macaire, that all the various
colours of flowers may, for the most part, be ascribed to dif-
ferent degrees of oxygenation of the chromule, or colouring
matter contained in the vesicles of which they are composed.
Why green should be the colour chiefly confined to the fo-
liage of plants, and various other colours to the petals, which
are constructed on precisely the same plan, seems not yet de-
termined. It is curious to observe, however, what a striking
tendency various parts, in the neighbourhood of the floral
leaves, have to clothe themselves also in " coats of many
colours." The calyx of the Fuchsia, for instance, is of a
bright scarlet, and the bracts of the Hydrangea are often
blue. The oxygenation of which we before spoke, appears
to be effected by the agency of solar light ; and it may be
stated as a general rule, that the brightness of colour in
plants is in the direct ratio of the amount of solar light to
which they are exposed. The changes of colour which the
leaves of different plants assume as autumn approaches ; — the
red dress, for example, in which the goddess of Botany, at
that period, clothes the pear, the vine, the sumach, and Vir-
ginian creeper ; — has been ascribed by Macaire to the same
oxydising effect already mentioned.
Schubler and Funk divide the colours of flowers into two
classes, the Oxydised (Xanthic of De Candolle), and the
Disoxydised (Cyanic of De Candolle). The first, or Xanthic
class, has yellow for its type, and the flowers belonging to
this series are capable of passing into red or white, but, ac-
cording to those authors, never into blue. To this statement,
however, there are certainly some exceptions. Viola lutea,
for example, has been observed, both by myself and Mr.
Moore, of York, with yellow and purple, or wholly purple,
VARIATION OF COLOUR IN WILD PLANTS. 327
flowers ; and Myosotis palustris has both yellow and blue
flowers. My friend Mr. Dickson, of Jersey, has also found
a specimen of (Enothera biennis, with eight flowers on it ;
six of the usual yellow colour, one purple, and the other
blue. The second, or Cyanic class, has hliie for its type,
which can pass into red or white, but never into yellow,
Schubler and Funk consider green as a sort of neutral colour,
intermediate between these two classes. Most purple or
blue flowers may have red or white varieties ; rose-coloured
flowers seem the next most liable to variation ; while yellow
rarely change : Glaucium luteum has been gathered, how-
ever, by Mr. Dickson, with flowers of a white colour ; and
several other varieties in this type of colour have already
been mentioned. The cause of the non-oxygenation of white
varieties is not well understood. It cannot be ascribed to
the absence of solar light, as many of them are found grow-
ing in very exposed situations : nor are the subjects of this
variation weakly and frail, hke plants that have been submitted
to the process of blanching. It cannot be owing to the same
cause that produces a white colour in many animals of the
northern regions, namely cold, as many of these white speci-
mens are found in the summer, and all of those mentioned by
us, were observed in the mild temperature of the British Is-
lands. We are constrained, therefore, to assign them to cer-
tain unknown causes, which induce in the floral envelopes of
plants a white colour, perhaps somewhat analogous to those
which produce albinoism in the animal kingdom.
The following white varieties met with in wild British plants,
belong to the Cyanic series of De CandoUe ; that is, their flo-
ral envelopes are naturally coloured blue, rose-coloured, or
purple. They have been observed both by myself, and also
by Mr. O. A. Moore, of York. I have thought it better to
throw the plants into their natural orders : — 1. Ranunculaceae,
Ranunculys Flammula ; Anemone nemorosa (every stage,
from purple to white). — 2. Violaceae, Viola odorata (various
shades from dark blue to white). — Polygalacese, Poly gala vul-
garis (also pink). — 4. Caryophyllaceae, Lychnis dioica (red,
rose-coloured, and white). — 5. Geraniaceae, Geranium pra-
tense ; G. phceiim ; Erodium cicutarium.^^ — 6. Ericaceae,
Menziesiapolifolia ;* Andromeda polifolia ;* EricaTetralix',
Calluna vulgaris. — 7. Leguminaceae, Ononis arvensis ; Tri-
folium pratense, — 8. Rosaceae, Geumrivale (also yellow). — 9.
Circaeaceae, Circwa lutetiana (white and pale red). — 10. Me-
' The varieties marked with an * I have not^met with ; they were kindly
supplied by Mr. Moore.
328 VARIATION OF COLOUR IN WILD PLANTS.
lanthaceae, Colchicum autiimnale (greenish-white, elongated,
and abortive). — 11. Boraginacege, Myosotis palustris; Put-
monaria officinalis.* — 12. Labiaceae, Lamium maculatum ;
L. intermedium ;* Betoiiica officinalis ;* Galeopsis Tetrahit;
Ballota nigra; Origanum vulgar e.* — 13. Apocynaceae,
Vinca major \ V. minor. — 14. Primulacese, Primula fari-
nosa.* — 15. Convolvulaceae, Convolvulus arvensis. — 16. So-
lanaceae, Solanum Dulcamara; Atropa Belladonna (gathered
in Netley Abbey, by Mr. Dickson, of a dirty white colour).
— 17. Gentianacese, Gentiana verna ;* G. Pneumonanthe.*
— 18. Scrophulariacese, Digitalis purpurea (common in gar-
dens, of a white colour ; we have also found it in Hampshire,
wild, in that state). — 19. Campanulaceae, Campanula rotun-
difolia. — 20. Compositae, Cnicus palustris ;* Centaurea
Cyanus (every shade of blue and pink, to pure white). — 21.
Orchidaceae, Orchis maculata. — 22. Araceae, Arum macula-
tum (yellowish or purple, white, spotted, and without spots).
— 23. Polygonaceae, Polygonum Persicaria. I shall add a few
more varieties that influence the colour of wild flowers,
equally interesting : — Cratcsgus Oxyacantha, naturally white,
(rose-colour) ; Oxalis Acetosella, naturally lilac, (blood-red) ;
Scrophularia nodosa, naturally purple, (green) ; Anagallis
arvensis, ndii\xYdX\y scarlet, (white); Jasione mofitana^noXxxxdMy
blue, (dark purple) ; Viola lutea, naturally yellow, (purple).
While I am on the subject of varieties in wild plants,
perhaps a few remarks on those aberrations in their form and
mode of growth, which I have observed, may not prove un-
acceptable to those who give this notice a perusal.
The development of the flowers of plants in a wild state
is sometimes iiTCgular, either on account of abortion of some
of their parts, their exuberant growth, or from certain other
causes not well understood. Linaria vulgaris, naturally a
labiate flower, is reduced, for instance, in one variety, to a
regular form, where the corolla is regular, five-cleft, with five
spurs, and where there are ^nq equal stamens. This is owing
to the circumstance of two of the petals, which are usually
suppressed, attaining a development equal to the other three.
In Geum rivale, also, the axis of growth is sometimes found
prolonged beyond the petals ; and the flowers of Festuca
mvipara, Bellis perennis, and Polygonum viviparum, are
often proliferous. Varieties and transformations among the
foliage of plants, are innumerable. Fraxinus heterophylla
has leaves, ternate, simple, serrated, and compound ; Paris
quadrifolia has often three, five, and even six leaves in a
whorl, although, as indeed is indicated by the specific name,
four is the normal number. The leaves of Ranunculus aqua-
BOTANICAL SYSTEM OF PROFESSOR PERLEB. 329
iilis, and Polygonum amphihiiim, vary in a remarkable man-
ner, according as they grow in or out of the water. Solaniim
Dulcamara and Clematis Vitalha are very variable as re-
gards their leaves. In Hellehorus foetidus, the leaflets are
sometimes joined together, forming one large and undivided
leaf. Spotted leaves are sometimes seen in Hieracium syl-
vaticum,Hier.murorum,Arum maculatum, Ijimium interme-
dium^ &c. Besides these, there are numerous other interest-
ing varieties to be met with in the vegetable kingdom, an
enquiry into which would amply repay the labour expended
in the search after them.
Art. IV". — Remarks on the Botanical System of Professor Perleb.
By Sir Edw. Ff. Bromhead, Bt., F.R.S., Lend, and Ed.
Perleb's ' Clavis' appeared in 1838, and must be considered
a work of very gi'eat value ; no Scientific History of the
Higher Botany can pass over his large contributions towards
the natural grouping of the families. He refers to his ' Lehr-
buch,' published as early as 1826, indicating by a mark (f)'
the additions made in the * Clavis,' and he complains that
Burmeister, in his * Handbuch,' adopts thirty-three out of
forty-four from his groups, without once naming the * Lehr-
buch' or its author. This is unquestionably true, and few
writers have such just grounds for complaint against his suc-
cessors, as Perleb ; but Burmeister's work is a general digest
of the whole of Natural History, and does not profess to
adjudicate authorship, even in the families, as monographs
and systems should do ; neither does it servilely copy Per-
leb, but freely deviates, sometimes for the worse, oftener for
the better. Lindley also, Endlicher, and indeed almost all
writers, except Perleb himself and Meisner, omit the found-
ers and synonymes of the Botanical Alliances ; an omission
partially supplied in ' Phil. Mag.,' Sept., 1^^77"lind to which
some additions are now made from Perleb and Burmeister.
In the ' Clavis' are several matters worthy of imitation.
In page 8, he gives a Table of Abbreviations, used for indi-
cating the Authors of genera, &c. Such a Table, constructed
on uniform stenographic principles, and uniformly carried
through a Botanical Conspectus, would add greatly to the
clearness, brevity, and symmetry of the whole ; it should,
moreover, enable us to ascertain by suitable marks, not merely
Ml is substituted here.
330 REMARKS ON THE
the originator of the Name, but the real Author of the assem-
blage, whether produced as a section or otherwise, and also
the writers who afterwards correctly limited the assemblage.
Striking injustice has been committed on these points, and
is properly complained of by Agardh ; the priority even of
Name, is still extensively violated, nor can Linnaeus always
escape that censure, in having acted under colour of arbitrary
rules, made imperative and retrospective, instead of being
recommended for future adoption. The spirit of equity, and
the labour of Reichenbach, in matters of Nomenclature, merit
all praise.
In page 46, Perleb gives a useful Table of the Names and
Synonymes of Tribes, Families, &c. To such, the rules of
priority cannot so conveniently apply, the divisions being
properly provisional, and it being possible hereafter to con-
struct a Nomenclature on some fixed principle, so as to indi-
cate the dignity of the assemblage by its termination, and its
place by the name of a genus. These advantages the names
of Genera cannot possess, unless some bold speculator shall
hereafter reduce to uniformity, the terminations of all genera
within the same family.
At page 52, there is an Index of Genera, referring (from
the nature of the work), not to the page, but by number to
the Family in which that genus lies. Every Conspectus
should contain a double Index, one of the Tribes, with a refer-
ence to the page of the work, — the other of the Genera, each
followed by the name of the Tribe in which the genus lies.
This list of genera would suit every edition and every work,
would avoid incredible labour and endless errata, and would
directly supply, in most cases, without further search or trou-
ble, all that the reader requires. Some additional space
might be required, but small type is scarcely objectionable in
cases of mere occasional reference.
Perleb uses the words ^ Class' and ^ Order' (terms correctly
applicable to artificial systems), to indicate his Frimary Divi-
sions, and the Alliances which they contain. His Classes are
neatly named and set out, but do not differ materially from
those of his predecessors : —
Protophyta. — Cellulares Aphyllae.
Muscos^. — Foliosae.
FiLiciN^. — Vasculares Endogenee Cryptogamicae.
Ternarije. — Phanerogamicae.
MoNocHLAMYDE^as. • ExogensB IncompletEe.
Thalamanth^. — Monopetalae.
Calycanth^e. —
CALYCOPETALiE. — Plciopetalae.
THALAMOPETALiE.
BOTANICAL SYSTEM OF PROFESSOR PERLEB. 331
As to the above Scheme, it is quite certain, that Ternaries
are out of place. They should follow Thalamopetalce : The
FiliciiKe are not Endogenous, as supposed by some, and
should be immediately followed by the Gymnosperms and
AmentacecB ; CycadacecB resemble Palms in the mere trivial
circumstance of being unigemmate. — The Monochlamyde(B
seem to be composed of two Sections, lying widely apart,
and normally distinguished by Burmeister and others as,
Apetalae diclineEe lepidantheej
Apetalas monoclineae chromantliEe.
The succession would also be more natural on the whole, if
the Calycopetal(B included Families with a Disk round the
Ovary, whether the Disk adheres to the Calyx, or rises freely
from the Torus ; and if, moreover, the Class, so modified,
stood between the two Apetalous classes, thus : —
Protophyta ; Monopetalse tlialamantliae ;
Muscosae ; Monopetalae calycanthas ;
Filicinee ; Thalamopetalae ;
Apetalae diclineae lepidanthse ; Ternariae ;
Peridiscantheae ; RhizantheaB.
Apetalae monoclineae chromanthae ;
This arrangement (as not consisting of two parallel series),
cannot place all the Alliances in immediate natural sequence,
but may present a series always either connected, or closely
analogous.
Perleb's Table of Classes is followed by a Table of his
Orders or Alliances, with their several distinctive characters ;
the Families are then tabulated in the same manner, with their
differential characters, under their respective Alliances. The
whole exhibits great precision and extensive powers of gene-
ralization, and will amply repay a careful examination ; but
I cannot venture here to do more than exhibit those cases,
in which Perleb seems entitled to be quoted as the founder,
or among the Synonymes of the Alliances. The writer, who
has assembled more than half (sa^ three out of five) of the
families of an Alliance, ought to be deemed the founder, un-
less its distinctive aspect is lost in the crowd of spurious
additions.
Such additional Synonymes as I have met with since the
former publication, and some which have arisen from dividing
a few of the larger alliances (chiefly the Cellular es), into
others of less extent, may be laid hereafter before your read-
ers.— With the view of comparison, my own Table is sub-
VoL. IV.— No. 34. N. s. 2 s
332 REMARKS ON THE
joined, embracing, as far as possible, the latest discoveries of
Endlicher, Meisner, and other writers of the first order.
Race of the Algce,
Charales. — The Verticillat^ (vasculares acotyledonese
caulocarpeae) of Burmeister are Characece, Equisetece.
PiPERALES. — Perleb gives Piperin^ Bartl. c. add. Ph ,aLS
containing Lacistemecs, || Chlorantheae, Piperacem, || Sauru-
recB ; II Podostemecd also being mentioned in a note, as near
Saurureae : " Infloresc. cylindrico-spadicin. v. amentaceo-
spicat., perig. 0 v. incompl., embr. inverso ad apicem albii-
minis, fol. petiolat. vaginant. v. stipulatis."
Haloragales. — Burmeister's Calycopetal^ aquatics
are Callitrichinece, Ceratophyllecdy Haloragece [Hippuris,
Trapa).
RosALES. — Under Rosacea Tourn. e. e. Ph., Perleb in-
cludes the great body of CEnotherales, Myrtales, and Rosales,
not well aiTanged. He adds Calycantheae, and omits Rhi-
zophorese, Vochysiea? ; among his sequences, Salicariacese
follow Onagrarieae ; Pomaceae follow Myrtacese ; Rosa is in-
cluded in Sanguisorbaceae. — The Rosacea § 2 (stipulate,
&c.) of Burmeister are Chrysohalanece-amygdalecB, Pomacece,
SplrceacecB {Sundin3i)-rosecB-potentille(B, SanguisorhecB.
Saxifragales, Portulacales. — Under Succulents Linn,
e. e. Ph., Perleb includes the greater part of the Saxifragales
and Portulacales loosely arranged. He omits Bruniaceae,
Fouquieraceae, Silenaceae ; he adds Stackhousieae, Halorageae ;
among his sequences are Crassulacece, Ficoidece, PortulacecB,
Illecehrecd ; Stackhousieae, Philadelpheae, Galacineae are
marked (? ||).
Chenopodiales. — Perleb gives Olerace^e Ag. c. add. Ph.,
as containing Chenopodiece, \\Phytolacce(B, Amarantacece,
PolygonecB, Begoniaceae. — Burmeister's Oleraces are Che-
nopodie(B, Phytolaccece, Amarantacece, Paronychieae, Scle-
ranthece, Polygonece.
Polemoniales. — Perleb, under his Lurid^e, throws toge-
ther (unnamed) Cohceacece, Polemoniece, WHydroleacead, as
" Corolla non plicata, embr. recto, corolla ad faucem non
squamigera."
Gentianales-Apocynales. — Perleb unites these, loosely
arranged, under the name Picrochyles, omitting (probably
well) Lygodysodea.
Cinchonales-Sambucales. — Perleb gives Rigid^e Batsch.
c. add. Ph., as containing Stellatce, Coffeaceas, Cincliona-
ce<B, CephalanthecB, LonicerecB, Samhucince.
BOTANICAL SYSTEM OF PROFESSOR PERLEB. 333
CoRNALES. — Perleb includes under Umbraculari^ Batsch.
c. add. Ph,, U7nbellifer(B, Araliacece, Cornece, Loranthece,
II Rhizoplioreae, ? WHamamelidecB, ? || Alangiese.
Geraniales. — Under Sarmentace^ Vent, c. add. Ph.,
Perleb gives Viniferae, Oxalidece, Lineae, Geraniacece, Hydro-
cere(Bj BalsaminecB. — Burmeister properly adds TropcBolece.
Brassicales. — The Cruciflor.e of Perleb are Cruciferce,
CapparidecB, FumariacecB, Papaveracece.
NYMPH.EALES. — Perleb in adjusting the characters of
MuLTisiLiQUOS^, gives the following (unnamed) as " herbse
aquaticae, palustres :" — ? || Sarraceniaceae, Nyniph(Bace(B, Ne-
himbonecB, \\ Cabomhece, PodopltyllecB, To these are added,
without arrangement, the Menispermales, mixed with Ranun-
culaceae, Magnoliaceae, and Dilleniaceae.
Agrostidales. — The arrangement of the characters of
Perleb's Glumace^, throws together (unnamed) Cyperace<B,
Graminece, " Staminibus pistillo non junctis, perigonio glu-
maceo, plantae culmiferae pique, herbaceae, fol. alt. simpl. in-
tegerr. parallelinerv. vaginant., ovar. — 1-ovulat., ovariis solita-
riis." — Burmeister's Monospermy (bracteatae glumaceae) take
the same range.
Arecales. — Perleb adopts the Palm^e of Linnaeus, divid-
ing them into six families. Linnaeus left the Palms as a
natural group, which he was unable to distribute under his
artificial system ; Botany would have presented a very dif-
ferent aspect, had he, on the contrary, delivered his artificial
system as a supplement to contain plants, which he could
not form into such natural groups as the Labiatae, Cruciferae,
Umbelliferae, Leguminosae, &c.
Typhales. — Perleb includes under Spadicin^ Ag. c. add.
Ph., \\Phytelephante(B, PandanecB, Typhace(B, \\Acoroide(B,
Cyclanthece, Aroidece, Naiades (IJCallitrichineae, jjHippurideae,
IJCeratophylleae, \\NaiadecB, \\Lemnace<B) : " Staminibus cum
pistillo non junctis, perigonio nullo vel squamaeformi." — The
Spadicinje Fluviales of Burmeister are Aroidece [Acorus],
TyphoidecB, Potamophil(B, Lemnaceae.
Race of the Fungi.
Auriculariales. — Perleb adopts the Hymenomycetes
Fr. (olim). Fries, in his 'Epicrisis,' 1838, removes theElvel-
laceae, under the name of Discomycetes, from this alliance,
and stations them next to Pyrenomycetes. — ^Von Martins
opens his system with the Algae, and terminates it with the
Fungi, as Vegetatio secundaria.
Lycoperdales. — Perleb, for the purpose of distinguishing
334 REMARKSpON THE
the characters of Fungi, places together (unnamed) the Gas-
TEROMYCETES, Fr., and Pyrenomycetes, Fr. : " E peridiis
globosis primum clausis, demum varie dehiscentibus, formati,
sporidiis repleti."
JuNGERMANNiALES. — PerleVs Muscos^ are Entocarpce,
\\Anthocerot(By \\MarchantiacecB, ^Jungermanniacece, ||Jw-
dr(Beac€(B, BryacecB. — The Musci of Burmeister take the
same range.
Lycopodiales. — The Marsileace^e of Brown, as adopted
by Perleb, include Salviniaceae, Marsileacem, || Isoetece. — The.
FoLioSiE (vase. acot. caulocarpeae) of Burmeister are RJiizo-
carpecd fMarsilea, Salvinia-IsoetesJ, Lycopodiacece, and he
refers to BischoiF.
Rhamnales. — The Resinari^e Batsch. e. e. Ph., shadow
forth the Rhamnales, though much alloyed. These are Ju-
glandeae, AnacardiecB, Pistacince, SumachmcB, Spondiacece,
Burseracedd, Connaraceae, Amyridese, Knth.j Chailletiace(B,
II Staphylaeacese, Celastrese, Rhamnecs, Bruniacese, Empetreae.
^scuLALES. — Perleb gives us under Trihilat^e Linn. e. e.
Ph.y Erythroxylese, HHippocrateaceae, Acerinece, Malpighi-
acece, Hippocastanecd, fWRhizoholece, Sapindacece, Tropseo-
leae, ? jjVochysiaceae.
Hypericales-Limoniales. — Perleb throws together the
body of these under Hesperide^ Batsch. c. add. Pb. : Tern-
strwmiacecB, ? JlOlacineae, Aurantiacea, Gnttiferw, Hyperi-
cinece, ? ||Reaumuriea3, \\MarcyrauviacecB, Meliacece, Cedre-
lecE. — Burmeister's Hesperide^ § 2 (not monadelphous)
are Aurantiacea?, Guttiferce, Marcgraaviem, Ternstromiaceo},
Hyperice(B, Chlenaceae.
Passiflorales. — The Peponifer^ of Perleb are Cucurbi-
taceae, \\Papayace(B, Passiflorece, WMalesherbiaceae, WBelvi-
siacecB.
El^agnales. — The Laureolin^ of Perleb, are ? Myristi-
ceae, Laurineae, Thymel(B(B, WPenceacecBf ProteacecB, Aquila-
rineae, Elceagnece, Myrobalaneae, Santalaceae, \\Anthohole(B :
" Perigonio subpetaloideo." The Laureol^ of Burmeister,
are Myristiceae, Laurineae, ProteacecB, PenwacecB, Heman-
diaceae, Thymel(B<e, ^^Eldsagnece, Santalacece, OlacineiB ;
including the whole Elcsagnales, and substantially the Lau-
rales intermixed. — ||The Chenopodiales and Elceagnales form
the passage to the Monopetal^, through Mirahiliace<B and
OlacacecB, and here we must ascertain the true nature of the
Monopetalous Structure. It would seem, that in the progress
of development, the outer envelopes assume the functions of
the inner, which disappear ; the Calyx becomes Corolla, and
BOTANICAL SYSTEM OF PROFESSOR PERLEB. 335
Bracts become Calyx, — a law from which wider conclusions
may be deduced.
Lamiales. — Perleb's PYRENACEiE, Vent. c. add. Ph., are
WStilbinece, \\Selagine<B, Myoporine(B, Vei'henacece, Oleinese,
Jasmineae. — Burmeister throws these under his Tetracarp^e,
properly removing Oleineae and Jasmineae.
Ericales. — Perleb's Atax^ are Sapotese, Ebenacea?, Sty-
raceae, RhodoracecB, Ericece, PyrolecB, Monotrope<B, Epacri-
decB, VacciniecB. — Burmeister's Atax^e make, moreover, a
sound approach to My^'sinales, including MyrsinecB, Sapo-
te(B, Ehenacem, IlicinecB, Styracece, &c.
Campanulales. — Perleb's Rapuncule^ contain Campa-
nulacecB, Lobeliaceae, \\Brunomace(B, WScavolece, \\Goodeno-
viece, Stylidiece. Sphenoclea he omits wholly ; perhaps it is
allied in structure to Pentaphragma.
Asterales. — Perleb's SYNANTHEREiE Rich. c. add. Pb.
are HCalycerese, Cynarocephalae, Discoidece, Perdiciece, Ra-
diatce, Lingulatce.
DiPSACALES. — Burmeister's Aggregat.e are Valerianece,
GlobularinecB, Dipsacece.
RuTALES. — The RuTARiiE of Perleb contain Polygaleae,
IITremandreae, HPittosporese, Brexiaceae, Zygophylle(B, Ru-
tacecB, Diosmece, Xanthoxyleae, Simarubace(B, Ochnacece,
llCoriarieae.
Malvales. — The CoLUMNiFERiE Linn. e. e. Ph. of Perleb
are ^^Elceocar'peae, TiliacecB, Buttneriacece, BombacecSy Mai-
vaceac, DipterocarpecBy ? || Chlenaceae.
Orchidales-Zingiberales. — The Gynandr^ of Bur-
meister include OrcJiidecB [Vanilla, Cypripedium), Scita-
mine(B, MusacecB.
Amaryllidales. — Perleb, in arranging his characters of
L1LIACE.E, throws together (unnamed) \Hypoxideai, Amaryl-
lidece, Tacce(B,H(Bmodorace(B,Burmanniaceai, Irideae : " Stam.
cum. pist. n. junctis, perigonio simplici 6-fid. vel. 6-petalo,
ovario infero, flor. hermaphr." — The leaves of Endogens seem
generally of the nature of Phyllodia or dilated Petioles, such
as are found in Mimosaceae.
336 REMARKS ON THE
THE RACE OF THE ALGvE.
[(+) Diatomeje ^, (+)desmidie8e 8, NOSTOCACE^ 9 ; (+)batrachospermace8e ; (+hygrocrociace8e) ;
Chordariacese, dictyotaceee, sporochnacese, laminariacese, fucace^,
Lichinaceffi, furcellariacege, polyidaceaa ; sPH^iiococcACE^-(thaumasie8e), halymeniacese ;
Caulerpeffi-ULVACEiE, vaucheriacese, lemaniaceae; oscillariace8e,confervace8e;]
Ceramiaceaj, ectocarpacese ; charace^ ; equisetacese, (sigillariacese),
Opbioglossacese, danseacese, osMUNDACEiE, gleicheniacese, polypodiacese,
Cycadacese, zamiacese, gnetaceae, ephedbace^, casuarinacese,
[Myricacese", platanese, mohace^s, celtidese**, putranjivese^, antidesmeses, urticacese*,
Artocai-pacese*, cannabacese, (datiscacese), ULMACE^^^ scepaceas, (+) hensloviaceseS,
Garryacese, lacistemaceseg, chloranthacese,] piperaceje, saurureEe, podostemacese,
Ceratophyllacese, hippuridacese 3, callitrichacese, haloragace^, txapaceae, (gunneraceffi"),
Circseese-CENOTHERACEai-montimeae, [lythracese, (+)rhizophorace8e, vochyacese, combretaoese,
Alangiaceas, melastomacese, memecylacese^, lecythidacese-barringtoniese, MYRTACE^-punicese,]
Pyracese, amygdalacese, +chrysobalaneae-fsanguisorbacese, ROSACE^'+potentilleoe, (+)spir8eace8e'*
[Cunoniacese^, saxifragace^, (francoeae), philadelphacese-aristotelese, escalloniaceaj, bruniaceaj,
Ribesiaceaj, cactaceajS, cucuRBiTACEa;, (begoniacese), loasacese,
(Fouquievacese), crassulacese,] mesembryanthacese^, poRTULACACEiES, silenacese^-alsinese,
Scleranthacese, +chenopodiace^9, +phytolaccace8e9, +polygonacea3, mirabiliacea3-salvadore8e,
Staticege-plumbaginacese, POLEMONIACE^, cobseacese, diapensiaceae, hydroleacese,
Hydrophyllacese, boraginace^, heliotropiacese, ehretiacese, cordiacese,
[Nolanacese •*, solanace^^^ (retziacese), convolvulaceaj ^^ cuscutacesej
[Voyracese', craufurdiese, gentianace^ ^, menyanthacese 6, spigeliacese,
LoganiegeS, strychnacese 8, asclepiadacese 8, APocYNACEiES,] lygodysodeaceaa,
Gardeniaceffi, CINCHONACE^, hameliaceae, coffeaceae, spermacocaceae,
Operculariaceae, loniceraceae, sambucace^, adoxese, (galiacese),
Apiaceae, (f ) araliaceae, [hamamelaceae^jloranthaceae, coRNACE^-hedereae, +vitace8e,l
+Geraniace^, (surianaceae), limnanthaceae, tropaeolaceaB-balsamineae, oxalidaceae,^
[Ledocarpacese 9, linacese^, cistace^, reaumurie8e-(tamaricace8e),] resedaceae, polygalaceae,
Tremandi-aceae, capparidaceae-cleomeae, BRASSICACEjE, fumariaceae, papaveracea;,
[Nymph^aceje, nelumbiaceae, (cephalotaceae^), cabombeae, (podophyllacese), paeoniaceae*,
CimicifugeaeS, clematideae,+ranunculaceae, sarraceniaceae, ARiSTOLocHiACEiE, nepenthaceae,}
(Lemnaceae^), +hydrocharace8e, ALisMACEiE, butomaceae, pontederaceae,
Cormnelinaceae, (+)philydracea3 8, xyridaceae, eriocauloneae-RESTiACEjiE, desvauxiaceae,
Cyperaceaj, caricacese, panicaceae, AGROSTIDACE^, bambusacea;,
Calamaceae, borassaceae, arecaceae, cocoace^, sabalinseS-phaenicaceae*,
Cyclantheae-pandanaceae, TYPHACEiE, [+naiadace8e, triglochinaceaj, araceaj^,]
[(Lophophytaceae, cynomoriaceae s, helosiacese s), (CYTINACEjE, rafflesiaceae),]
BOTANICAL SYSTEM OF PROFESSOR PERLEB. 337
THE RACE OF THE FUNGI.
[jEcidiacese, tuberculariaceee, botrytace8e-(byssi8), MUCORACE/E, cephalotrichacese ;
TuberaceiB, LYCOPERDACEiE, trichodermaceaj, sclerotiaceae ; sphseriacese^; elvellacese^ ; 1
[Calyciacese, sphserophorese, USNEACE^E i, graphidacese, endocarpacese ;]
Ricciaceaj, marchantiacese, jungeemanniace^, andreeeacese, bryacese,
Salviniacese, marsileacese, isoetaceseS^ lycopodiace^, lepidodendracese*,
Salisburiacese^, taxacea3, cupkessace^, pinacese, araucariacese,
Liquidambracese, salicacese, betulace^, carpineffi'-corylacese, juglandacese,
Anacardiaceae-spondieaj, burseracese, chailletiacese, nitrariace8e-(neurade8e), RHAMNACE^,
[Coriariacese, (+)euphorbiace^, empetracese-stackhousiese, celastraceaj^,] erythroxylaceae,
Malpighiacea3, aceraceaj^j ^sculace^, millingtoniese-sapindacese, caiyocaracese,
+Clusiace8e, marcgraaviaceee, htpericaceje, (ochranthe8e)-carpodontacea3, +camelliace8e,
Rhodolsenaceae, [humiriacese, (canellese), meliacese-(hugonie8e)-cedrelese, limoniace^,]
Amyridacese, +connarace8e, mimosacese-detariese, swartziea3-FABACE^, geoffroyese-csesalpiniaceae,
Moringacese, [(wormskioldiee *), frankeniacese, sauvagesiae, parnassieseS , di-oseraceseS^ violace^,]
+PASsiyLOBACEiB, malesherbiese, turneracese, papayacese, napoleonacese, patrisiese, flacourtiacese.
Bixacese, hydnocarpaceae, samydacese, homaliace^, aquilariacese,'
Dapbnaceae s-penseese, +proteace8e, el^eagnace^, santalacese^-anthobolese, olacacese,
Oleacese^, columelliese-gesneraceae, pinguiculese, ACANTHACE.E, bignonieaj^j
Stilbaceaj, selaginacese, myoporacese, yerbenaceEe, LAMiACE^-ocimoidese,
[(+)Antirrhinacese9, gratiolaceseS, (fveroniceseS), rhinanthace^s, orobanchacese,]
Monotropaceae, pyrolese, clet]ire8e6-+ERiCACE^, epacridacese, arbutese^, vacciniacese,
CAMPANULACE^-lobelieae, stylidiacese, sphajnocleaceae, goodeniaceBe-scsevolese, brunoniacese,
ASTERACE^, cichoriacese, mutisiaceae, cynaraceae,(+) arctotidaceae^,
rValerianaceae, calyceraceae, dipsacace^, globulariaceae,] +plantaginacese,
Primuleae-(+)MYRSiNACEiE, achrasaceae, styraceae-diospyraceae, ilicaceae-brexieae, pittosporaceae.
Zygophyllaceae, rtjtace^, xanthoxylaceae, simarubaceae, ochnaceae,
Dipterocarpaceae, elaeocarpeae-tiliaceae, byttneriaceae ^, malvace^, sterculiaceae 6,
Myristicaceae, hernandiaceae, illigeraceae, cassjrthaceae, LAURACE^,
Atherospermaceaejinonimiaceae, calycanthaceae, illiciese-MAGNoLiACEai, dillemaceae,
Schizandraceae, +anonacese, +berberace8e-(nandine£e), lardizabalaceae, menispermace«,
[Smilaceae, dioscoreaceae, (+)coNVALLARiACEiE 9, paridaceae^, asparagaceaeS,
(+)AloaceEe9, +anthericaceae9, +juncace^ 9, +hyacinthaceae^,] melaathiaceaes,
Iridacese, [apostasiaceae, cypripediaceae, ORCHIDACEiE, vanillaceae,]
Globbaceae, zingibeeace^ cannaceae, musaceae, [agavaceseS,
+AMAEyLLiDACEiE,+bromeliace£e, +hsemodorace8e, bui-manniaceae, (taccacea)),]
[(Rafflesiacese, CYTINACE^), (helosiaceffi 8, cynomoriaceae 8, lophophytacea;),!
338 BOTANICAL SYSTEM OF PROFESSOR PERLEB.
THE BOTANICAL FAMILIES.
Revised from Edinb. Ph J., Apr,, 1836; Phil. Mag., July, 1837;
Ed. Ph. J., Apr. and July, 1838. — See also Phil. Mag., Sept.
1837; and Mag. Nat. Hist., Apr. 1838.
A series of Families in immediate and continuous affinity with each
other, is called an alliance, and is indicated by a termination in ales : —
Ex. osMUNDALES are the Ferns.
The Alliances of the two Races at the same distance from the initial
alliance of each, are said to be Parallel ; Parallel Alliances are called
FORMATIONS, and are indicated by a termination in os<e : — Ex. LAMioSiE
include Lamiales and Boraginales.
f Indicates that the Family or Tribe may be compound.
[ ] Indicates that the order of succession among the Families so included is
not settled.
( ) Indicates that the evidence for the station is more conflicting than usual.
Dr. Lindley's Work on the Natural System is usually referred to for
the Families and Tribes.
(1) UsNEALEs are Coniothalami, Sphaerophorese, Hymenothalami, Idiothalami,
Gasterothalami.
(2) Here separated.— (3) Lint.— (4) D. Don.— (5) Arnott.— (6) Meisner {Fasc.
i-viii.) — (7) Fries, (Epicrisis).
(8) Refers to Endlicher's Genera Plantarum (i-xii.)jthe terminations being some-
times changed.
(9) Aloaceae include...... (Xerotideae^) -aloinae^ -agapantheae^.
AnthericaccEB [Anthericeae« -conanthereae ^ -tulbaghieae ^ -aphyllan-
theae^ -xanthorrhoeae^].
(t) Antirrhinaceas [Hemimerideae-antirrhineae-salpiglossideae-digitaleae-
verbasceae.]
Arctotidaceae (XeranthemeaB)-(calendulaceae)-arctotideae.
Bignoniaceae Cyrtandreae-bignoniaceae^-pedalieae.^
Celastraceae Celastraceae-staphyleaceae-hippocrateae-trigonieae.
Chenopodiaceae Amarantacese-fchenopodiaceae.
Convallariaceae [Aspidistreae^-philesieae^-roxburghieae^-eriospermeae®-
convallarieae « (excl. Smilaceis Ldl.) — ophiopogo-
neaBS-(herreriese^)].
Cunoniaceae Bauereae-cunonieas ®.
Elvellaceae Discomycetes'''.
tGratiolaceae [Buchnereae-buddleieae-gratioleae^].
Hamamelaceae (Helwingieae^)-fothergillese-hamamelideaB.
Hensloviaceae (Forestiereae«)-(henslovieae)-(batide8B).
Hyacinthaceae Gilliesieae^-hyacintheae^-ftulipaceae.^
Juncaceae Kingieae^-calectasieaEj^-junceae^.
Lacistemaceae (Pseudantheae ^)-lacistemaceae.
Ledocarpaceae Ledocarpeae^-vivianieae^
Linaceae Linese-elatineaB.
Memecylaceae Memecyleae-myrrhinieae s.
Nostocaceae (f )NostochineaB-rivularieae.
Oleaceae Oleacese-jasmineae-bolivarieae.^
Phil ydraceffi (Rapateas 8)-phily draceae-(flagellarieae 8)-(astelieaB «).
Phytolaccaceae jPhytolacceae-petiverieae.
Rhinanthaceae Gerardieae-rhinantheae.
Santalaceffi Nysseae ^ -grubbieae S-santalacesB s-anthoboleae.
Silenaceae Caryophylleae^.
Sphseriaceae fPyrenomycetes.'
Spiraeacese Quillaiae-spirseaceae-(neillieaB*).
ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. 339
Art. V. — Remarks on the Theory of Spontaneous Generation.
By Mr. J. B. Bladon.
( Continued from page 286.^
In a satirical rhapsody published in the latter part of the
seventeenth century, entitled " The History of the World of
the Sun," there is such a plain, unvarnished description of
the doctrine of spontaneous generation, that I cannot forbear
to transcribe it. The voyager having arrived at one of the
dark spots observable on the sun, meets with a personage
who instructs him in several branches of knowledge, among
others is the following upon creation : " Consider well the
ground whereon we stand ; it is not long since it was an in-
digested disorderly mass, a chaos of confused matter, whereof
the sun had purged himself Now, after that, by the force
of its rays, which the sun darted against it, he mingled,
pressed, and compacted those numerous clouds of atoms,
after, I say, that by a long and powerful coction, he sepa-
rated the more contrary, and reverted the more similary parts
of this bowl, the mass, pierced through with heat, sweat so
that it made a deluge, which covered it above forty days ;
for so much water required no less time to fall down into the
more declining and lower regions of the globe." " When
the waters were retired, a fat and fertile mud remained upon
the earth. Now, when the sun shone out, there arose a
kind of tumour, or wheal, which could not, because of the
cold, thrust out its bud ; it therefore received another coction,
and that coction still rectifying and perfecting it by a more
exact mixture, it sent forth a sprout, endowed then only with
vegetation, but capable of sense ; but because the waters
which had so long stood upon the slime had too much
chilled it, the swelling broke not, so that the sun recocted it
once more ; and after a third digestion, that matrix being so
thoroughly heated, that the cold brought forth a man, who
hath retained in the liver, which is the seat of the vegetative
soul, and the place of the first concoction, the power of
growing; in the heart, which is the seat of activity and the
place of the second concoction, the vital powers ; and in the
brain, which is the seat of the intellefetual, and the place of
the third concoction, the power of reasoning." " Never-
theless, you'll tell me there is no man in your world engen-
dered of mud, and produced in that manner. I believe it ;
your world is at present overheated ; for so soon as the sun
draws a sprout out of the earth, finding none of that cold
humidity, or to say better, that certain period of completed
Vol. IV.~No. 43. n. s. 2 t
340 ON SPONTANEOUS GENERATION.
motion, which obliges it to several coctions, it turns it pre-
sently to a vegetable, or if it makes two coctions, seeing the
second has not time enough to receive perfection in, it only
engenders an insect." We have here the real spirit of the
doctrine laid bare and open to view in its greatest absurdity ;
and even the most plausible expositions of spontaneous
generation, have no better foundation on which to take their
stand ; they are all obliged to have recourse to some assisting
power to help them out of their difficulties, knowing that if
they rest their doctrine upon the power of matter, the
universal experience of all mankind would bely it, they there-
fore generally, and most wisely, lay it down, that only the
smaller and more simply organized beings are produced by
it. The difficulty, then, in refuting it, consists in the greatly
enhanced difficulties of observation. When we find that per-
sons of eminent rank in science, are at issue respecting the
organization of the minute organisms; — that they cannot coin-
cide upon what is submitted to the observation of their own
eyes; — should itnot induce us to hesitate before we assert that
they are positively exempt from the operation of those laws
which we find to be universal and absolute in every case of
an organism that is fully open to our observations in every
succeeding period of its organization ? There are, no doubt,
many anomalies in the modus operandi of those laws, but
one circumstance is always essential, and that is, a typical
predecessor. It is a most mystical occurrence, not to be ac-
counted for in our present state of physiological knowledge,
that an organism should propagate itself by bodily division,
or that one impregnation should suffice for several successive
generations of Aphides ; but from some cause not yet known
(probably from exposure to cold), it requires renovation,
which is provided for by the last generation always contain-
ing males. In some instances mentioned in Westwood's
Introduction, of female moths having firuitful descendants
without sexual impregnation, the last generation were all
males ; still they remained true to their type ; even all the
arts of mankind, exerted upon the most variable species of
organisms subject to his controul, with all the diversities of
soil, climate, and culture that exist upon the surface of the
earth, have been unable to produce a new species ; the most
plastic still remains true to its type : even when he forcibly
combines two species, and attempts to produce a compound
of them, it succeeds not beyond the primary instance, but
either remains barren, or breeds back to the type of one of
its parents. Do we not perceive that here is a boundary fixed ?
Is not here an absolute line of demarcation drawn by some
SUPPOSED NEW SPECIES OF BAL^NOPTERA. 341
law fixed by a superintending power, who has declared, thus
far shalt thou go but no farther ? How can we account for it by
the theory of spontaneous generation, which asserts that life
and organization is only a dynamic power combined with
certain imponderables acting upon each other ? Here we have
an organism actually in existence, possessing every function
essential to life, but not to reproduction of its kind. It is ad-
mitted by all the advocates of the doctrine, that when an or-
ganism is brought into existence by the power alluded to, it
is then complete in its kind, and can take its station among
its fellow organisms (without further aid from its spontaneous
generation), to produce its typical descendants ; but we see,
in the case of hybridism, a , direct contradiction of those
assumed powers.
Art. VI. — Dimensions and Description of a supposed new species
q/*Bal3Bnoptera, stranded on Charmouth Beach, February 5, 1840.
By R. H. Sweeting, Esq.^
DIMENSIONS.
Ft. In.
Length of body 44 0
Breadth 21 0
Breadth of pectoral fin „ 18
Length of ditto 5 6
Length of dorsal fin „ 18
Height of ditto 1 0
From point of lower jaw to origin of pectoral fin 10 9
From posterior edge of dorsal fin, to origin of
the horizontal tail 11 0
Each lobe of tail from base to point 3 0
Full spread of lobes fi-om tip to tip 9 0
Opening of eyelids fi'om anterior to posterior
angle „ 6
Diameter of bony socket of eye „ 8
Diameter of eyeball „ 7
Colour of iris, brown ; pupil circular.
The spiracles were placed longitudinally, and presented
the appearance of slits or fissures in the integuments of the
bones of the face, nearly meeting anteriorly, and gradually
» The wliale is the property of John Bullen, Esq., as Lord of the Ma-
nor of Marshwood, and Lord Paramount of the Hundred.
342 SUPPOSED NEW SPECIES OF BAL^NOPTERA.
diverging posteriorly, to a distance of about 3 inches. They
were about 10 inches long, communicating with the nostrils,
and opening posteriorly into the pharynx.
Colour of the head, back, tail, and outside of the pectoral
fins, black ; inside of pectoral fins, throat, breast, and belly,
beautifully white. Integuments of the three last-named
parts disposed in longitudinal folds, with the intervening
spaces pink. Inside of the under-jaw black ; tongue, palate,
&c., pink.
Sex, female.
The under-jaw is the widest, and projects 9 inches beyond
the point of the upper one. No teeth in either jaw ; the upper
jaw is furnished with about 250 plates of whalebone (baleen)
on each side. Point of each jaw rounded; the muzzle
longer and much more attenuated than in the genus Balcena ;
and the plates of whalebone comparatively short, and conse-
quently of Uttle or no value as an article of commerce. They
resemble horn rather than bone, and are tough, flexible, and
elastic if bent in one direction, but brittle, and easily split in
the other. Their colour blueish-black, and yellowish- white.
They are fiinged at the edges with loose fibres, resembling
hair or bristles, which serve to entangle and prevent the es-
cape of the marine insects, zoophytes, Mollusca, &c., on
which the animal chiefly subsisted.
The blubber varied in thickness, from 3 to 5 inches, and
yielded three hogsheads of oil.
Total weight of the animal, about 25 tons.
SKELETON.
Ft.
Whole length from point of under-jaw to tip of tail .... 41
Length of head 11
Vertebral column ; 30
The vertebral column consists of sixty bones ; namely,
7 cervical, 15 dorsal, 16 lumbar, and 22 caudal ; 52 of these
are strictly spinal, the 53rd doubtful, and the remaining 7
appertain to the horizontal tail. The spinal canal terminates
at the 52nd; the 53rd has a deep groove, but no spinous pro-
cess, the arch being completed in the recent subject by car-
tilage or Ugament.
Each of the principal vertehrce consists of a body, two
transverse processes, two oblique or articulating processes,
and the spinous process, surmounting and completing the
spinal arch, for the transmission and protection of the me-
dulla spinalis or spinal marrow.
ENTOZOA INDIGENOUS TO IRELAND. 343
The ribs are fourteen in number on each side ; the first
being double-headed, is attached to the two first dorsal ver-
tehne, the rest are each attached to the posterior edge of the
transverse process of the corresponding dorsal vertebra.
The pectoral fin, &c., is analogous to the superior extre-
mity of the human subject, consisting of a scapula, with its
glenoid cavity, the os humeri, the fore-arm, with its two
bones {radius and ulna), the carpus, metacarpus of four
bones and four fingers, with their phalanges.
The point of the underjaw projects, in the skeleton, one
foot beyond that of the upper ; tJEiey are both pointed, but
were rounded off in the recent subject.
Two small flat bones, representing the pelvis in quadru-
peds, were attached (one on each side) to the first caudal
vertebra.
The intervertebral substance consists of myriads of elastic
columns or pillars ; an admirable and exquisitely beautiful
piece of mechanism, combining flexibility, elasticity, and
strength.
The seven last bones of the vertebral column are deeply
impressed laterally with pits or hollows, for the attachments
of the rays or fibres of the horizontal tail.
From the discrepancy as to the number of vertebrce, &c.,
I am of opinion that this species has not been described
before, and I have proposed for it the name Balcenoptera
tenuirostris.
2ith March, 1840.
Art. VII. — Catalogue of the Entozoa indigenous to Ireland ; with
Obsermtions. By O'Bryen Bellingham, M.D., Member of
the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, of the Natural-History
Society, the Zoological, and the Geological Society of Dublin,
&C., &C.1
One of the objects contemplated by the Natural-History So-
ciety of Dublin on its formation, was to obtain, at as early a
period as circumstances permitted, a complete catalogue of
the animals, vertebral as well as invertebral, which are natives
of this country. With the wish to contribute as far as hes in
my power to so desirable an object, I have brought forward
the following catalogue of Entozoa, or parasitic animals (a
* Read at a Meeting of the Natural -History Society, June 5, 1840.
344 CATALOGUE OF THE ENTOZOA
part of the invertebral kingdom which has not hitherto en-
joyed much of the attention of British Zoologists) which I
have met with in this country, the great majority of them
being new to the British fauna ; in order to render it so far a
perfect Ust of our indigenous species, I have included a few
which I have not been so fortimate as to find myself, but
which have been noticed or described by others, particularly
by Dr. Drummond, the President of the Belfast Natural-His-
tory Society, whose talents have already contributed to ad-
vance more than one branch of Natural History, and who
has lately turned his attention to these much neglected ani-
mals, and has described some species altogether new to
science.
Under the general name Entozoa (derived from evtoj intus,
?aov animal), are included all the animals which naturally and
permanently reside in the ahmentary canal, or some other
part of the interior of animals. And although the habitat
of any animal is not a sufficient ground to separate it from
the genera or species which approach it in organization,
yet as the Entozoa have been studied and described as a
separate group by those naturalists whose authority upon the
subject is the highest; and as the majority of them are dis-
tinct in organization from any animals not parasitic ; and as
we are as yet far from having arrived at a natural arrange-
ment of invertebral animals, (there being some groups which
though not parasitic, require to be associated with the Ento-
zoa, and others which are parasitic, and which many have
arranged with these animals, but of which the true situation
is extremely doubtftQ) : — it appeared to me to be more pru-
dent to retain the term in the sense used by Rudolphi and
Bremser ; and on the present occasion I shall confine my-
self altogether to the true Entozoa, or those species which in-
habit some part of the interior of the bodies of other ani-
mals; and I shall not enter at all upon the disputed point,
as to the place which these animals ought to occupy, in a
natural arrangement of the invertebral kingdom.
The animals included under the term Entozoa, although
they have been very carefully studied by several continental
zoologists, and have occupied a considerable share of the
attention of several distinguished comparative anatomists,
have from some cause or other been little attended to, I might
almost say completely overlooked by British naturahsts, even
by men distinguished in other departments of the science.
" While there are some branches of Natural History (as Mr.
Jenyns has obseiTed in his report on Zoology) which are
most sedulously cultivated by us, there are others which have
INDIGENOUS TO IRELAND. 345
for a long time lain comparatively neglected." This remark
is peculiarly appropriate, and applies particularly to the ani-
mals which form the subject of the present communication ;
they are commonly looked upon with disgust instead of any-,
thing of interest in a scientific point of view, and the num-
ber of individuals who have made them a study is exceed-
ingly hmited. Indeed, the Httle attention which the Entozoa
have attracted in these countries will be apparent from the
fact, that in the only works which contain lists of the Bri-
tish species, viz. * Pennant's Zoology ' and Turton's ' British
Fauna,' but twenty-eight species are described as indigenous ;
and four of these are repeated twice under different names,
leaving but twenty-four distinct species : while in the hmited
opportunities which I have had, I have detected and pre-
served upwards of 200 species, and several of these occurred
in six, others in ten, and one species in as many as fifteen
different animals.
The Entozoa, although they do not form a very numerous
division of the animal kingdom, are very extensively distri-
buted, as in almost all the Mammalia, birds, reptiles, and
fish, which I have examined, I have detected some species,
and often more than one ; and there is scarcely a tissue or
organ in which they do not sometimes occur.
I have found them in the oesophagus, stomach, and intes-
tines, in the bronchial tubes, and air cells of the lungs of
some animals ; in the urinary bladder, in the gall and swim
bladder of others ; in cellular tissue and in serous membranes ;
in the substance of the heart, in the liver and kidney ; some
species inhabit the brain of animals, others their eyes, others
aneurismal swellings of arteries, others the meatus audito-
rius, the frontal and maxillary sinuses, and even the cavity
of the tympanum. In fact there is hardly an organ in which
some species has not been detected, at least among vertebral
animals ; and if they are more rare among the Invertehrata,
it is, perhaps, because we have not yet sufficiently sought for
them.
The number of animals which I have dissected in order to
complete this list, is very considerable : I possess notes of
having examined upwards of 270 Mammalia, 360 birds, and
380 fish, exclusive of reptiles which are indigenous to this
country. And here I have much pleasure in acknowledging
the assistance which I have received from Mr. Richard Glen-
non, preserver of animals to the Natural-History Society;
who most obhgingly placed at my disposal the body of any
animal sent to him to be preserved, which I was desirous of
examining ; indeed, without his kind co-operation, I could
not have brought this list to its present extent.
346 CATALOGUE OF THE ENTOZOA
The classification to which I have adhered in the following
catalogue, is the one given by Rudolphi in his * Synopsis,' fol-
lowed by Bremser in both his works, and adopted by almost
all zoologists since. I cannot see the necessity for the change
in the nomenclature of the orders which has been made by
Mr. Owen, in his article Entozoa, in the * Cyclopaedia of Ana-
tomy and Physiology.' Rudolphi's terms are in a great mea-
sure established, having been adopted by almost every writer
Upon the subject since his time ; and if the names of fami-
lies or orders are to be altered upon trivial grounds, we should
be under the necessity of giving up many of the names
which have been longest estabUshed ; indeed nothing appears
to have a greater tendency to retard the study of Natural
History, than the unnecessary multiplication of names which
are already too numerous. But in the present instance, I do
not think the new names are an improvement upon the old,
the latter appear to me to be more expressive, and their
having been adopted by the best practical helminthologists
is a sufficient reason for retaining them here.
Rudolphi has arranged the Entozoa in five orders of fami-
lies, each of which includes a larger or smaller number of
genera. On the present occasion I shall only notice those
genera in which I have as yet detected species inhabiting
animals natives of this country.
Commencing with those most highly organized, they are
Nematoideay Acanthocejphalay Trematoda, Cestoidea, and
Cystica.
Order I. NEMATOIDEA.
(Derived from VYifA,a Jilum, and ^100$ forma.)
The order Nematoidea includes the Entozoa whose organ-
ization is the highest ; the body is cylindrical and elastic,
more or less attenuated at each extremity; intestinal canal
complete, provided with a mouth and anus ; sexes distinct ;
commonly oviparous, rarely viviparous. The head is conti-
nuous with the body, very rarely separated by a neck, often
obtuse and sometimes edged by lateral membranes (what
Rudolphi has called winged). The posterior extremity of
the body is either sharp or obtuse, often curved. The male
is almost always smaller than the female, and the penis, which
is either a single or double spiculum, frequently projects ex-
ternally. In both sexes the internal organs of generation
(the ovaries in the female and the seminal tubes in the male),
are in the form of long filaments, which surround the intes-
INDIGENOUS TO IRELAND. 347
tinal canal. The generic characters are taken principally
from the shape of the mouth, or from the disposition of the tu-
bercles which surround it ; the absence or presence of lips, &c.
The genera in this order are found in all classes of ani-
mals ; they inhabit almost every organ, but most frequently
the alimentary canal.
Genus I. — Filaria,
(Derived from Filum^ a thread.)
Body long, cylindrical, and elastic, nearly of equal diameter throughout;
mouth orbicular. Male organ a simple spiculum.
This genus was established by MilUer, and has been
adopted by Rudolphi ; the species inhabit cellular membrane
in every part of the body, very rarely the alimentary canal ;
they are not uncommon in Mammalia, birds, and fish, they
are less common in reptiles ; they occur also in invertebral
animals, particularly in the larva of Lepidoptera, and in
some Coleoptera.
The Filaria have been arranged by Rudolphi in two sub-
divisions, according as the mouth is simple or papillary and
labiate.
FILARIA.
Ore simplici.
J. YiLXRiA attmuata Cellular membrane in abdomen of peregrine
falcon.
Species duhiee.
2. Filaria A PeritoneBum of red gurnard.
3. „ B PeritoncBum of mullet {Mugil capito.)
4. „ C ? Abdominal cavity of bee {Bombus terrestris.)
A. This species of Filaria (which does not appear to have been described)
occurred under the peritonceum of the common red gurnard {Trigla pini.)
The specimens which I possess are from three to four inches in length, and
about the thickness of strong thread, the colour white, body cylindrical,
and of the same diameter throughout. Anterior extremity obtuse and
rounded, posterior acute. Mouth orbicular and very small. In removing
them, some ruptured, and allowed the ovaries and intestinal canal to pro-
trude.
B. This species (which also appears not to have been described), oc-
curred in the peritoneum of the common grey mullet {Mugil capita) : they
were so imbedded in this membrane that it required considerable trouble
to remove them, and some portion of the membrane continued to adhere
to them, which rendered their examination difficult; they are about 4|^
Vol. IV.— No. 34. n. s. 2 u
348 CATALOGUE OF THE ENTOZOA
Genus 2. —Trichosoma.
(Derived from t^'I, capillus.)
Body cylindrical and elastic, of moderate length, very slender towards
the anterior extremity, and insensibly enlarging posteriorly. Mouth
terminal, punctiform. Male organ a simple filament contained in a
sheath.
This genus was established by Zeder, under the name of
Capillaria. The species are most common in birds, next in
the Mammalia ; they are very rare in reptiles and fish ; they
inhabit the stomach, the small and large intestines, some-
times the urinary bladder. The species of the genus Tri-
chosoma are all exceedingly small, and resemble each
other very closely (almost the only difference being a Httle
greater or less length or thickness of the body), and as male
and female are not always found together, it is very difficult
to determine the species accurately ; in fact, of the twenty-
two species which Rudolphi has enumerated, sixteen are
doubtful ; and of thirteen species which I have met with
nine are doubtful.
TRICHOSOMA.
1. Trichosoma o&^MSMTO ? ,. Ctgca of homcd owl.
2. „ infiexum? Small intestine of missel thrush.
«3. „ longicolle? Small intestine of domestic fowl.
4 ,. f Urinary bladder of dog.
» ^"^^ {Urinary bladder of fox.
Species duhiee.
6. Trichosoma ...,» Urinary bladder of wild cat.
6. „ Small intestines of weasel.
lines in length, colour white, body slender, and of the same diameter
throughout. Anterior and posterior extremity rounded, mouth obscurely
orbicular ; a slight prominence near the posterior extremity, at which the
anus appeared to open.
C. This species I have met with upon several occasions in the cavity of
the abdomen of the commonhumblehee {Bombm terrestris), and sometimes
in very large numbers; they lived and moved about in a watch glass con-
taining water, for a considerable time ; they are cylindrical, some are
smaller than others, and in these the posterior extremity is very slightly
curved, in the larger (which probably are females), this part is straight.
They are so small as to be hardly visible without a lens, and in consequence
of this I have not been able to succeed in seeing the shape of the mouth ;
hence they may probably eventually turn out to belong to some other
genus.
INDIGENOUS TO IRELAND. 349
7. Trichosoma D Urinary bladder of rat.
8. „ Small intestine of rat.
9. „, Stomach of hedge-hog.
10. „ Small intestine of horned owl.
11. „ Small intestine of pigeon.
12. „ Ccem and rec<wm of jackdaw.
13. „ E Intestines of hake.
Genus 3. — Trichocephalus.
(Derived from t^'I, capillus^ and «£^aA>l, caput.
Body cylindrical and elastic, anterior portion capillary and suddenly pass-
ing into the thicker or posterior part (by this it is distinguished from
the genus Trichosoma, in which the increase is very gradual) ; mouth
orbicular ; penis simple, contained in a sheath.
The name Trichocephalus was given to this genus by
Goetze, and adopted by Rudolphi. It was formerly named
Trichufis (from r^ik, capillus, and ov^a, cauda), from the
erroneous supposition that the capillary portion was the tail.
The species inhabit the large intestines, particularly the ccc-
cum of the Mammalia ; they do not occur in either birds or
D. This species of Trichosoma I have very frequently found in the urin-
ary bladder of the common Norway rat ; in some cases only one or two
occurred, in others, six, eight, or upwards. Many were free in the blad-
der ; others so firmly attached by their anterior extremity to the mucous
membrane, that they broke across when pulled ; and some even remained
adherent, after having been placed in spirits of wine. They are the largest
species of Trichosoma which I have seen, the posterior division of the
body in some being so thick as in a certain degree to resemble this part in
the Trichocephalus, from which, however, they are readily distinguished,
the increase in diameter being gradual, and not sudden. They are about
8 lines in length, the body white and cylindrical, the posterior extremity
rounded ; in the thicker part of the body, the alimentary canal appears to
be somewhat spiral, and is surrounded by the convoluted ovaries. All the
specimens which I have appear to be females.
This species has not, I believe, hitherto been described, although it is
very common, and I have frequently met with it. It occurs in the urin-
ary bladder, both of the male and female rat, and is quite distinct from
the species which inhabits the small intestine of the same animal.
From the thickness of the posterior part of the body compared with
other species of Trichosomu, I would venture to suggest for this species
the name Trichosoma crassicauda.
E. The genus Trichosoma is very rare in fish ; Rudolphi or Bremser
have never found them ; the only species which has been as yet described
to occur in these animals, is one noticed by Creplin, in his ' Observationes
de Entozois.' This species I found in the intestines of the hake (Merluccius
vulgaris) ; the longest specimen is upwards of an inch in length, the body
slender, colour perfectly white. As there cannot be a doubt that it is a
new species, I would venture to suggest the name Trichosoma gracilis fox it.
350 CATALOGUE OF THE ENTOZOA
fish. The genus is not numerous in species. Rudolphi has
arranged them in two subdivisions ; our native species belong
only to one of these subdivisions.
TRICHOCEPHALUS.
1. Trichocephalus dispar F Large intestines of man.
2. „ crenatus G C^ecwm of pig.
3. „ nodosus Ccecum of mouse.
»»
Genus 4. — Oxyvrus.
(Derived from o^ug aeutus, and Oi'f « cauda.)
Body cylindrical and elastic, the posterior extremity subulate in the fe-
male ; mouth orbicular and terminal ; male organ contained in a sheath.
The genus Oxyurus was established by Rudolphi ; it con-
tains a very small number of species, only three being enu-
merated by Rudolphi in his ' Synopsis.' The species inhabit
the large intestines of the Mammalia, and have not been
found in either birdsj reptiles, or fish.
OXYURUS,
1. Oxyurus curvula H Large intestine of horse.
2. „ amhigua I Ceecum of rabbit.
F. The Tnchocephalus dispar has been longer known than any other
species in the genus ; and although stated by several writers to be rare in
these countries, in the course of my experience I have found it by far the
most common species inhabiting the alimentary canal of the human sub-
ject : I have examined the intestinal canal of eighty-six individuals, who
died in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, of various diseases, and whose ages
varied from three years to seventy; and in seventy-seven out of the eighty-six,
I found a larger or smaller number of this species ; sometimes only one or two
existed, sometimes they were in considerable plenty; the largest number I
have met with in the same individual, was one hundred and nineteen :
sometimes they were attached to the mucous membrane, more commonly
they were free ; they almost always inhabited the large intestine, particu-
larly the c(Bcum ; I have, however, met with them in the small intestine.
The male appears to be as common, or perhaps more common, than the
female, which is contrary to what happens in most other genera of Nema-
toidea.
G. This species resembles pretty closely the Trichocephalus dispar ; the
capillary portion of the animal is, however, a little longer, and the sheath
of the penis has a somewhat diiFerent shape from what it has in that spe-
cies.
H. The Oxyurus curvula is noticed in Pennant's British Zoology, under
the name of Trichocephalus equi ; it is the largest species of the genus,
inhabiting the great intestine of the horse, and is not at all uncommon.
I. I have found the Oxyurus amhigua in great numbers in the ccBcum
of the common wild rabbit ; the females arc double the length of the
INDIGENOUS TO IllKLAND. 351
Genus 5. — Cucullanus.
(Derived from CucuUils, a hood.)
Body cylindrical and elastic, obtuse anteriorly, more attenuated posteriorly;
mouth orbicular ; head provided with a striated cucullus (from which
circumstance the genus has been named) ; anus terminal ; orifice of
female organs a little behind the centre of the body; male organ a
double spiculum ; all the species viviparous.
The name Cucullus was given to this genus by Miiller ; the
species inhabit the alimentary canal offish, and do not occur
in either Mammalia or birds,
CUCULLANUS.
1. Cucullanus e%am K.
2. „ foveolatus L.
Stomach, intestines and pyloric append-
ages of perch.
Intestines of eel {Anguilla acutirostris.)
Intestines of plaice.
Intestines of dab {Platissa Limanda.)
males, and much more numerous. The mouth is orbicular, and every
small ; on each side of the head is a transparent membrane, somewhat
resembling that of the Ascaris vermicularis.
K. The Cucullanus elegans is very common in the perch, occurring in
the stomach, intestines, and pyloric appendages. The species is vivipa-
rous, as when some of the females have been accidentally cut across, I
have seen the young come out in great numbers, and move about freely in
water placed in a watch-glass.
The Cucullanus elegans is more rarely met with in the eel than in the
perch ; sometimes they were free in the intestinal canal, at others, attached
to the mucous membrane, almost as firmly as Echinorhynchi. They were
of a reddish colour, the head a deeper red than the body ; after remaining
in water for some time, every part became white except the head.
The female Cucullanus elegans from the eel is about 4^ lines in length,*
the male about 2 lines. The head is rounded, and is pretty accurately
represented in the magnified figure in Bremser's large work. The strice
upon the cucullus are numerous and run longitudinally ; the mouth is or-
bicular, in some a small papilla projected ; the oesophagus is narrow at its
commencement, and runs in a straight line to the stomach, which is some-
what oblong and double the diameter of the oesophagus ; the intestine
is straight, the anus is situated near the posterior extremity. The vulva
in the female is conspicuous, projecting, seated nearer the caudal than the
anterior extremity of the body ; the penis of the male (in the specimens
which I met with), did not project externally. In the female, the caudal
extremity is rather sharp, not obtuse as Rudolphi describes it to be ; it is
straight in the female, inflexed in the male.
L. The Cucullanus foveolatus from the plaice, in some instances, adhered
firmly to the mucous membrane of the intestine ; very soon after being
placed in water, the integuments ruptured and allowed the ovaries, &c. to
protrude. I have not observed that this species is viviparous.
352 NEW GEMUS OF ENCRINITES.
Art. VIII. — On a recent species of Crinoidea, or Encriuites, con-
stituting the type of a new genus ; — Holopus.^
M. Alcide D'Orbigny, in a paper read before the 'Academie
des Sciences, ' at their sitting of February 27th, 1837, has de-
scribed a new genus of radiated animals, so interesting both
to the zoologist and geologist, that we have been tempted to
extract the descriptive portion of his paper from M. Guerin's
* Magasin de Zoologie' (where it is published), and to have
his plate engraved for our 'Illustrations.'
The animal in question belongs to that section of the Ra-
diata, the species of which being destitute of the means of
locomotion, remain fixed to the ground ; and is allied to the
Pentacrinus europ(Bus, first described by Mr. Thompson:*
but differing in certain particulars from that species, M. D'Or-
bigny has been induced to constitute it a new genus, to which
he applies the name Holopus. The species is dedicated to
M. Rang, who discovered it at Martinico.
HoLOPVS Rangii, D'Orbigny. Suppl. PI. xvii.
Description. — External parts.- -B^oot enlarged, not ramose,
smooth, or but slightly marked beneath with intersecting
lines, which are irregular on its margins, and assume on the
under parts the form of the body on which the animal is fix-
ed ; foot or body thick, short, sub quadrangular, covered with
small rounded tubercles, which are most distinct on its angles ;
its surface, and that of all the external portions of the arms
(as viewed under a lens), exhibiting on all parts a finely stri-
ated or reticulated tissue, even on, the tubercles. Arms, four
The Cucullanus foveolatus from the dah is perfectly white, of equal
diameter throughout, except at the extremities. The females are from
6 to Q\ lines in length, the males rather less ; the anterior extremity is
ohtuse, the posterior acute in hoth sexes ; the caudal extremity in the fe-
male is straight, incurved in the male. The cesophagus is longer and wider
than the stomach, it contracts suddenly where it joins the latter organ, the
stomach is cylindrical, the anus in the female is close to the caudal extre-
mity, in the male it is a little more anterior, and projects considerably;
the orifice by which the penis protrudes, is seated between the anus and
the caudal extremity. The penis is a double spiculum, very sharp, fine
and white ; the vulva in the female is situated nearer the caudal than the
anterior extremity. Several of the females, after remaining for a short
time in water (in which they at first moved about but soon died), ruptured,
and the intestine and ovaries protruded.
1 Extracted from an article in Guerin's 'Magasin deZoologie,' for 1837.
- 'A Memoir on the Pentacrinus curopceusy 4to. Cork, 1827.
I'/^.XFMr.
J/olo/yr/s j?^/z^r//7
^EW GENUS OF ENCRINITE9. 353
in number, each formed at its base of a thick pentagonal plate,
which is concave and irregular on the inner side, convex, and
externally forming a thick, nipple-like tubercle, the margins
of which, flattened at their junction with the three other si-
milar pieces, are united in a compact manner. On the upper
portion of the first piece, which has two angles, each arm be-
comes dichotomous; there are therefore eight arms, which
are thick, strong, conical, almost twice as long as the foot,
rounded and tuberculated on their mesial portion, and as it
were festooned on their outer margins, alternate, and com-
pressed at their extremity, composed of calcareous pieces,
which are thick, and twenty-five in number, each piece bear-
ing alternately right and left, a conical ramule, which is elon-
gated, much compressed, rugose externally, somewhat concave
internally, and formed of many quadrangular pieces joined
together.
Internal parts. — The cavity which occupies the whole ex-
tent of the foot or body, no doubt contained the viscera.^ —
Mouth (as well as the anus) protected by four moveable, an-
gular, stony pieces, which close the opening at the will of the
animal ; it opens into a vestibule, which is dilated in the up-
per portion of the body, separated by some ciliated and irre-
gular excrescences at the base of the arm from a large ftmnel,
formed of four deep grooves, each dividing into two ; these
are continued, though less distinctly, throughout the whole
extent of the inner side of the arm.
Colouring. — The general tint of the dried animal is green-
ish, almost black on the body, and paler on the arms and root.
Dimensions. — The specimen described measured eight cen-
timetres (three inches and two lines English measure) in total
length : the foot is 10 J lines ; height of the root, 4f lines ;
diameter of root at the base, 8;^ lines ; diameter of the foot,
6^ lines.
' As the animal came into our possession in a dried state, it was impos-
sible to study the conformation of these parts.
354 NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDEOUS INSECTS.
Art. IX. — Descriptions of some new species of Carahideous In-
sects, from the collection made by C, Darwin, Esq., in the South-
ern parts of S. America, By G. R. Waterhouse, Esq., Curator
and Assistant Secretary to the Zoological Society.
The insects I am about to describe belong to that great group
of Carahidm to which Dejean applies the name Feroniens,
and to a section of that group, the species of which are dis-
tinguished by there being a kind of peduncle separating the
thorax from the body, — giving to them a superficial resem-
blance to the Scaritidce. This constricted portion between
the thorax and abdomen is formed above by a produced por-
tion of the elytra, which become suddenly narrow in front,
and form, together with a portion of the mesothorax, a cylin-
drical neck, which apparently serves to give greater freedom
of motion to the fore part of the insect. Broscus cephalotes
affords an example of this group in which Miscodera, Sto-
fnis, Cnemacanthus ^ of Gray (which is the Promecoderus of
Dejean), and Baripus, may also be included. These insects
are most of them remarkable for the convex form of the tho-
rax and elytra, the want of produced posterior angles to the
latter, which is usually almost destitute of posterior fovece,
and dilated lateral margins — the dorsal channel moreover is
generally very indistinct. In these respects the present group
of insects affords a strong contrast to the more typical Fero-
ni(B, if we may regard the species belonging to the genera
Pterostichus and Omaseus as such.
In addition to the several genera (allied as it appears to me
to Broscus) already mentioned, we are indebted to Mr. Cur-
tis for the knowledge of three others possessing the same
essential characters. I allude to the genera Odontoscelis,
Cardiophthalmus and Cascellius, published by Mr. Curtis in
the Linnean Transactions.*
The genus Odontoscelis, Curtis, is founded upon an insect
brought by Capt. King from Valparaiso, — an insect which
I have observed in many of our collections. In the ' Histoire
Naturelle des Insectes' by MM. Audouin and Brulle^, a se-
cond species of the same genus is described and figured as an
* Cnemacanthus gibbosus of Gray appears to me the same as the Prome-
coderus brunnieornis of Dejean, which is from Van Dieman's Land, and
perhaps some other parts of Australasia, and not from Africa as has been
stated. The genus Cnemacanthus of Guerin and Brulle being synonymous
with Mr. Curtis' genus Odontoscelis, the species of which are from South
America, must not be confounded with Cnemacanthus of Gray.
2 Vol. xviii. part. 2.
3 Tome iv. bis 2nd part, page 376, plate 15, fig. 4.
NEW SPECIES OB' CARABIDEOUS INSECTS. 355
illustration of Mr. Gray's genus Cnemacanthus, whilst in the
same work will be found a true species of Cnemacanthus de-
scribed and figured under the name Promecoderus Lottini. '
M. Guerin-Meneville, in the ' Magasin de Zoologie,' * also
figures and describes certain species of Odontoscelis under
the name of Cnemacanthus, but this author perceives that the
species of Cnemacanthus of the French authors differ in cer-
tain respects from the type of the genus figured in Griffiths'
'Animal Kingdom,' inasmuch as they have the anterior tihicB
prolonged externally ; he states however that a small species
which is found in Peru has not this external prolongation of
the tihia, " et vient par consequent se ranger exactement a
cote du type de M. Gray. Nous ne pensons pas que cette
legere difference soit suffisante pour motiver I'etablissement
d'un nouveau genre ; nous nous en servirons pour diviser les
Cnemacanthes en deux sections, ainsi qu'il suit." The au-
thor then proposes to distinguish those species which have
the anterior tibiae produced externally, by the name of Cne-
malohus, retaining Cnemacanthus for Mr. Gray's species, and
one other which he names Cnem. parallelus.
Now to those who are engaged in the study of the geogra-
phical distribution of species, it is most important to know
what genera there are, species of which are found both in
Australia and South America ; it is highly desirable therefore
that the difference in the structure of the anterior tibicd of
Cnemacanthus ipropei and Odontoscelis should be attended to,
and that the Cnemacanthus parallelus be submitted to fur-
ther examination, for Mr. Gray's genus does not differ otili/
from Odontoscelis in not having the tibia produced externally
— there are other very important differences — one of them
indeed has been considered so important by Dejean,^ that he
established two great groups which are distinguishable by it,
and alluded to the tarsi of the intermediate pair of legs being
dilated in the male sex, as well as the anterior pair ; such is
the case in Cnemacanthus proper, whereas in Odontoscelis
only the anterior pair are dilated in the males : again, in
Cnemacanthus the tooth in the notch of the mentum is short,
broad, and truncated, whilst in Odontoscelis it is long and
pointed.
* Id. page 450, plate 18, fig. 4.
2 Annee 1838, liv. 2, pp. 9—13, plates 226 and 227.
3 This author places his genus Promecoderus (which, as hefore stated, is
synonymous with Cnemacanthus of Gray) in his section ' Harpaliens.^
Vol. IV.— No. 34. n. s. 2 x
356 NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDEOUS INSECTS.
Genus. — Odontoscelis^ Curtis. Cnemacanthus, Audouin
and BruUe. Cnemacanthus (sub-genus Cnemalohus) Guerin-
Meneville.
Sp. 1. Odon. Tentyrio'ides, Curtis, Linn. Trans, vol. xviii.
part 2, page 187, plate 15, fig. D.
Cnemacanthus ohscurus (?), BruUe, Hist. Nat. des Insectes, tome iv.
(bis), 2de livraisou, page 377.
Two specimens agreeing in all respects (excepting in hav-
ing a blueish tint on the under side of the body and legs)
with Mr. Curtis's description, are in the collection of Mr.
Darwin ; they are from Valparaiso, the same locality as that
given by Mr. Curtis.
Sp. 2. Odon. cyaneus,
Cnemacanthus cyaneus, Brulle, as above, page 376.
Much larger than the last and of a blue colour : its length
is 10 lines (French measure), whilst Odon. Tentyrio'ides is
about 8 lines. Inhabits Chili.
Sp. 3. Odon. Desmarestii.
Cnemacanthus ( Cnemalohus) Desmarestii, Guerin-Meneville, Magasin
de Zoologie, Annee 1838, livraison 2me, page 9, plate 226 of class
ix.
A very large species, from 26 to 30 ^ millemetres' in length.
It is black above, tinted with green on the margins of the
thorax and elytra. Inhabits Cordova.
These are all the species of Odontoscelis which I can find
described; in the collection of Mr. Darwin there are four
others, the characters of which I shall proceed to point out.
Sp. 4. Odon. Darwinii. Suppl. Plate xix. fig. 1,
Otion.. latus, supra laevis, nitide viridis; pedibus corporeque subtus viola-
ceo-nigris ; antennis, mandibulis, palpis, tarsisque piceo colore obscure
tinctis.
This species is from lOj to 11 J lines in length, and from
4| to 4J lines in width. The upper parts of head, thorax,
and abdomen are of a brilliant blue-green colour, the under
parts are black, and the legs, antennae, mandibles and palpi
Fi.-m.
%.c.
z.a.
s,.e.
&Jiyra.te,^^us^ ^li^
J'-Swaine-yc.
NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDEOUS INSECTS. 857
are pitchy black ; a slight blueish tint is observable in cer-
tain lights on the under parts of the body, and on the under
side of the prothorax there is a faint green hue : a few long
hairs spring from the sides of the thorax and elytra, and also
from the fore part of the head and above the eyes. The tho-
rax is rather narrower than the elytra ; its upper surface is
convex, the sides are rounded, and so are the posterior an-
gles, the hinder margin is slightly indented in the middle and
near the posterior angles : the breadth of the thorax is about
one third greater than its length ; the dorsal channel is very
indistinct, and there is a faint, posterior, transverse depres-
sion ; along the outer margins are seven or eight large punc-
tures. The scutellum is large and almost semicircular. The
elytra are very convex and almost smooth ; their length is
less than one third greater than their breadth ; on each ely-
tron is a row of punctures, which commences at the shoulder,
and ends nearly at the apex of the elytron ; excepting near
the shoulder (where the punctures are close to the outer mar-
gin) this row runs parallel with and at a short distance from
the outer margin of the elytron, and on the margin itself a
second row of punctures is observable ; these are rather wide-
ly separated, and each puncture gives root to a long hair ;
a few punctures, also giving root to long hairs, are also ob-
servable on the shoulder, and again towards the apex of the
elytra; these are situated above the first-described row. —
There are no strice on the elytra. On each of the abdominal
segments is a transverse row of punctures, each having a hair
like those on the outer margins of the elytra. The legs are
rather densely clothed with short bristly hairs, especially on
the tihi(e of the posterior and middle pair : on the outer mar-
gin of the anterior tibice there are no hairs ; these tihicB are
much dilated at the apex, and the outer portion is produced
and pointed ; in the male it terminates nearly in a line with
the apex of the basal joint of the tarsus, whilst in the female,
where it is larger, it terminates opposite (or nearly so) to the
base of the fourth joint of the tarsus : a row of punctures is
observable on the under side of all the femora. Length of
thorax in the female very nearly 3 lines ; width of ditto 4j-
lines : length of elytra 6^ lines ; width of ditto 4| lines in
the female.
This species was obtained by Mr. Darwin at Bahia Blanca,
North Patagonia.
Sp. 5. Odon. Curtisii.
Odon. latissimus, supra laevis, niger; suttus violaceo-niger : antennis, man-
dibulis, palpis, pedibusque piceo-nigris ; thorace 'elytrisque apud margi-
nem submetallice relucentibus, illo subviridi, his colore purpurascente.
358 NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDEOUS INSECTS.
This species is about equal in size to the last ; and, like
that, has a row of widely separated punctures near the lateral
margins of the thorax ; the punctures on the sides of the ely-
tra^ segments of the abdomen and femora^ are the same ; it
differs however in being rather shorter, broader, rather less
convex, and in having the upper parts of the body black and
almost destitute of gloss. The thorax is rather convex, much
broader than long, and equal in width to the elytra^ or very
nearly so ; the sides and posterior angles are rounded, and
the dorsal channel very indistinct ; behind is a slight trans-
verse indentation on either side, and extending nearly to the
mesial line. Elytra rather convex, about one fourth longer
than broad; smooth. Legs pitch-coloured ; antennae, palpi,
and tarsi pitchy red. In one female there is a transverse row
of punctures on the apical portion of the last segment of the
ahdomeii ; in a second about four oblong indentations are
observable. A very indistinct greenish tint is observable near
the margins of the thorax and outer margin of the elytra, and
there is a faint blue tint on the under parts of the insect. —
Total length, 11 lines; length of thorax 3 lines; width of
ditto 4f lines ; length of elytra 6j lines ; width of ditto 4f
lines. The specimens described are females.
Brought from Port Desire, Patagonia, by Mr. Darwin.
Sp. 6. Odon. striatus.
Odon. mediocriter latus, niger, subtus leviter caeruleo-viridi tinctus ; ely-
tris distincte striatis ; striis baud punctatis, interspatiis paululum con-
vexis ; elytris ad marginem externum aliquanto violaceis.
Much less than either of the preceding, but larger than
Zabrus obesus. General colour black, the under parts of the
body (especially the thorax) tinted with greenish ; sides of
elytra and thorax tinted with purple or greenish. TJiorax
convex, about equal in width to the elytra, broader than
long ; the sides and posterior angles much rounded, the an-
terior portion emarginated; dorsal channel indistinct; pos-
terior transverse depression scarcely visible. Elytra convex,
their breadth about equal to two thirds of their length ; dis-
tinctly striated, the stri(B impunctate, and the interspaces
convex. On the lateral margins of the thorax are six or se-
ven large punctures, and close to the outer margin of the elytra
is a longitudinal series of punctures ; besides these there are
two or three larger punctures near the apex of the elytra : a
few large punctures are observable on the under side of the
prothorax, and on.each of the abdominal segments is a trans-
verse row of punctures ; these punctures however are not
NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDEOUS INSECTS. 369
found on and near the mesial line : at the apex of the last
segment there are from two to four punctures, on either side,
and placed in a line : numerous hairs, springing from the
punctures, are observable on the sides of the thorax and ely-
tra. Length, 85- lines ; width, 3j lines.
In one of Mr. Darwin's specimens the stricB of the elytra
are rather less distinct than in two others from which the
above description is drawn up, and the interstices are flat on
the fore portion of the elytra ; — it is moreover of a smaller
size, being only 7\ Hues in length.
Mr. Darwin found this species on a sandy plain at Bahia
Blanca, N. Patagonia.
Sp. 7. Odon. suhstriatus.
Odon. ater, corpore treviusculo, convexo ; elytris substriatis, striis indis-
tinctis, interspatiis leviter convexis.
Thorax rather narrower than the elytra, convex ; the sides
rounded, posterior angles also rounded, but very slightly
prominent ; dorsal channel indistinct ; scarcely any trace of
posterior transverse impression ; elytra convex, their width
equal to more than two thirds of the length ; faintly striated,
the interspaces slightly concave. Colour dull black ; under
parts with a blueish tint. The puncturing on the sides of the
thorax, elytra, segments of abdomen, and femora, as usual.
The hairs on the sides of thorax and elytra numerous. —
Length from 6f to 7j lines ; width from 2f to 3 lines.
This species is considerably smaller than either of the pre-
ceding ; it is proportionately shorter than Odon. Tentyrio'ides,
there is less space between the thorax and abdomen, and it
is moreover distinguished by its striated elytra. Odon. Ten-
tyrio'ides is smooth, or very nearly so ; Odon. substriatus is
rather delicately striated, and Odon. striatus is distinctly stri-
ated. Odon. substriatus is also intermediate in form between
the other two species mentioned, being shorter and rather
more convex than the first, and less convex than the last, from
which it moreover differs in being naiTower.
Genus. — Cardiophthalmvs, Curtis.
Closely allied, as it appears to me, to Odontoscelis, is the
genus above named, — a genus (with too long a name) esta-
blished by Mr. Curtis, upon an insect brought from Port Fa-
mine by Capt. King. ^ I had long since determined to found
* Linn. Trans, xviii. part 2, page 184.
360 NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDEOUS INSECTS.
a genus upon two species of Carabidce forming part of a col-
lection placed in my hands for description by Mr. Darwin ;
but upon studying Mr. Curtis's paper, I found that they pos-
sessed all the essential characters of his genus Cardiophthal-
mus. The chief differences between the insects of this genus
and those of Odontoscelis, consist in the central tooth of the
mentum being bifid; the legs and antennad much longer; the
great length of the spines with which all the tibidR are furnished
at their apex, and the proportionately narrower thorax^ com-
bined with the short, ovate and convex form of the body. —
The anterior tibicB are somewhat suddenly dilated at the apex
(in the two species before me), and the external portion is
slightly produced. The anterior femora in the species de-
scribed by Mr. Curtis, is furnished with three or four small
angular projections on the under side and near the base. I
find the same character in one of the specimens before me,
but in two other specimens (one of which is decidedly the
same species as the first) there is merely a slight unevenness
on that part of the femur ^ — possibly therefore it may be a
sexual character : in the structure of the anterior tarsi there
is no difference — they are all slender, and destitute of velvet-
like pads or membranous appendages beneath.
Sp. 1. Card. Clivinoides, Curtis, Linn. Trans, xviii. part 2
page 185, plate xv. fig. C.
Sp. 2. Card, longitarsis. Suppl. Plate xix. fig. 2.
Card, nitide niger, obscure viridi tinctus ; thorace, elytrisque convexis :
elytris laevissime striatis.
Thorax elytris angustior, lateribus rotundatis sic et marginibus, at leviter,
postice aliquanto attenuatus; sulco dorsali obscurissiiuo et post hunc
nota transversa insculptus. Elytra ad marginem externum seriatim
punctis, necnon segmentum abdominis ultimum, ad marginem posticum,
notata.
Length, 11 lines ; length of thorax 3 lines; width of ditto,
3 J lines : length of elytra 6 J lines ; width of ditto, 4J lines :
posterior tarsus very nearly 3f lines. Head about one third
narrower than the thorax, the eyes but slightly prominent. —
Thorax considerably narrower than the elytra, convex, the
sides and posterior angles rounded ; the dorsal channel in-
distinct; a distinct transverse impression near the hinder
margin. The thorax is rather attenuated behind, and its
broadest part is in the middle, or rather anterior to the mid-
dle. Elytra very convex, ovatej rounded at the apex ; very
faintly striated, the stricd impunctate. General colour black,
NEW SPECIES OF CARABIDEOUS INSECTS. 361
with a very indistinct metallic gloss ; antenncB pitchy red ;
palpi pitch-coloured. On the third, fifth, and seventh inter-
spaces between the strice of the elytra a few widely separated
punctures are observable, but these are confined to the apical
portion of the elytra ; moreover, with a tolerably strong lens
some indistinct punctures may be perceived in the strice : a
series of rather widely separated punctures runs along the
outer margins of the elytra, and on the apical portion are
many subconfluent punctures. On the under side of each of
the femora is a row of punctures ; the terminal segment of
the abdomen is margined with punctures, and there are two
punctures on each of the abdominal segments, one on either
side of, and at some little distance from, the mesial line. The
posterior tarsi are considerably longer than the tihice ; each
of the tihice is furnished at the apex with two very long spines.
The antennce are slender, and, if extended backwards, would
reach beyond the hinder margin of the thorax.
This species is considerably larger than the Card. Clivin-
oides ; it is of a broader form, and its legs and antennce are
longer, as well as the spines with which the former are fur-
nished.
Sp. 2. Card. Stephensii.
Card, nitide violaceo-niger ; thorace convexo, attenuate, et postice trans-
versim insculpto; corporebrevi, valde convexo; elytris laevissime striatis,
stliis vix apparenter punctatis ; interspatiis aliquanto convexis.
This species is much smaller than the last, and may more-
over be distinguished from that and Mr. Curtis's species by
the very convex, short, and almost rounded form of the body :
its legs are shorter than in Card, longitarsis, and the poste-
rior tarsi and tihice are equal in length. The thorax is short,
convex, attenuated behind, and has the sides and posterior
angles rounded ; the dorsal channel is very indistinct ; and
there is a transverse depression near the posterior margin :
the elytra are very convex, ovate, faintly striated, and the
interstices are slightly convex: the strice are indistinctly
punctured, excepting on the apical portion of the elytra,
where the punctures are distinct : some punctures are observ-
able on the outer margin of each elytron and on the posterior
margin of the apical segment of the ahdomen ; there are also
two punctures on each of the other segments of the ahdomen,
as in Card, longitarsis.
Total length, 8 J lines ; length of thorax 2 J lines ; width of
ditto, 2 J lines ; length of elytra, 6 lines ; width of ditto, Sp-
lines.
862 NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS.
I have named this species in honour of the author of 'Il-
lustrations of British Entomology,' to whom I am indebted
for much information and kindness.
Art. X. — Descriptions of some new species of Coleopterous bi-
sects. By Edward Newman.
Natural Order.— CZE'/^/rJS'^S', Newman.
Genus. — Hydnocera, Newman.
The genus Hydnocera was established in the ' Entomologi-
cal Magazine,' vol. v. page 379. It approaches, in many
essential characters, the genus Tillus of Fabricius, who pro-
bably would not have considered it as generically distinct.
One of the species has been described by Germar in his * In-
sectorum Species,' under the name of Clerus humeralis ; and
the same insect has also been labelled as the Tillus humera-
lis of Say, but I have no reference whatever to any descrip-
tion by the American entomologist. A second species [Hyd.
serrata) has been named by myself, and recorded as captured
by Mr. R. Foster, at Mount Pleasant, in Ohio : and three
others are now added to the list. All the five inhabit the
United States of North America.
The Count Dejean, in his ' Catalogue des Coleopteres,'
has given to the genus the provisional name of Fhyllohmius;
this I learn from finding one of the species so named by Dr.
Harris. I observe with regret that the plan of giving trivial
names, without taking the trouble to secure them by the pub-
lication of a brief descriptive character, does not meet with
that neglect and contempt which such a practice deserves ;
on the contrary, I have not unfi-equently seen these spurious
names attached at random to the genera and species that
happen to stand unnamed in a cabinet ; and names thus ar-
bitrarily imposed in the first place, and subsequently applied
by guess, are becoming rife in the majority of our collections
of exotic Coleoptera.
Sp. 1. Hyd. humeralis. (Corp. long. '23 unc. lat. -06. unc.)
Clerus hum£ralis^ Germar, ' Insectorum Species,' page 80.
Head large, transverse, black, covered with a grey pilosity,
palpi and antenncp. fulvous : the prothorax scarcely shorter
NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS. 363
than its breadth, the sides slightly tubercled in the middle,
having a transverse impressed line anteriorly, pmictured, black
with a grey pilosity : elytra oblong, somewhat cylindrical,
deeply punctured, black, with a slight metallic shade of green,
the shoulders being prominent and of a bright testaceous co-
lour : the body beneath is black, and clothed with a grey pi-
losity: the fore legs are fulvous, with the exception of a large
linear black mark on the femora ; the middle legs are black,
the tips of the tihice and the entire tarsi being fulvous ; the
hind legs are black, the basal joint of the tarsi alone being
fulvous.
Inhabits North Carolina, East Florida, and (according to
Germar) Georgia.
Three specimens were taken by Messrs. Doubleday and
Foster.
Sp. 2. Hyd. rujipes. Rugose puncta ; nigro-cyanea, oculis nigris, an-
tennis pedibusque ferrugineis. (Corp. long. '225 unc. lat. -06 unc.)
Head finely punctured ; black, with a slight tint of metal-
lic blue or green ; eyes black, without any metallic lustre ;
mouth and antenn(B ferruginous : prothorax finely punctured,
and having a transverse impressed line both anteriorly and
posteriorly, and a slight tubercle laterally near the middle ;
black, with a metallic tinge : the elytra are deeply and regu-
larly punctured, and have a very decided tint of metallic blue :
the under parts of the body are black : the legs are ferrugi-
nous : the entire insect is clothed with a grey pilosity.
Inhabits East Florida. A single specimen taken by Mr.
Doubleday.
Sp. 3. Hyd. serrata. (Corp. long. -175 unc. lat. -06 unc.)
„ „ Newman, ' Entomological Magazine,' vol. v. page
379.
Head finely punctured, black, with a metallic tint, the eyes
being perfectly black ; antennce testaceous, with the apex
brown : prothorax finely punctured, scarcely longer than
broad, having an impressed transverse line anteriorly, and an
obvious tubercle on each side, and being much narrowed pos-
teriorly ; it is black, with a metallic tinge : the elytra are
deeply punctured, black, each having two large, subquadrate,
testaceous markings, of which the anterior occupies the basal
portion of the elytron, the posterior does not quite reach its
apex : the apex itself is curiously serrated.
Inhabits Ohio. Two specimens taken by Mr. Foster at
Mount Pleasant.
Vol IV.— No. 43. n. s. 2 y
304 NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS.
Sp. 4. Hyd. curtipennis. Rugose puncta ; pallide testacea, oculis, pro-
thoracis lineaque dorsali longitudinali, nigiis: elytra abbreviata, api-
cibus incrassatis. (Corp. long. '23 unc. lat. -06 unc.)
Head finely punctured, pale testaceous, with black eyes,
and, in one specimen only, a black vertical spot : prothorax
considerably longer than broad, its sides nearly parallel, pale
testaceous, with three longitudinal black lines, one on each
side, and one down the centre : the elytra are deeply and re-
gularly punctured, they are very obviously abbreviated, as in
the genus Necydalis, and the apex of each is incrassated ; they
are of a uniform pale testaceous colour : the under parts of
the body are black : the legs testaceous.
Inhabits East Florida. Two specimens taken by Mr.
Doubleday.
Sp. 5. Hyd. cegra. Gracilis, elongata, rugose puncta : testacea, oculis
tantum nigris. (Corp. long. '18 unc. lat. '04 unc.)
Head glabrous : prothorax nearly twice as long as wide,
and somewhat attenuated posteriorly, glabrous, with scarcely
discemable punctures : elytra elongate, linear, thickened into
a kind of knob at the tip. The colour is uniformly testaceous,
the eyes alone being black.
Inhabits East Florida. Mr. Doubleday took a single spe-
cimen.
Natural OvdeY.—LUCANITES, Newman.
Genus. — Cacostomvs, Newman.
Dorci facies, at corpore squamoso et mandibulis aliter dentatis plane
discrepat.
The head is small, very much narrower than the protho-
rax, and produced in an angle anterior to each eye, which is
completely divided, as in Chiasognathus of Stephens, and
several cognate genera: the mandibles are porrected, incurved
at the tip, and nearly approximate at their base ; they are
twice as long as the head ; each, on the internal side, is fur-
nished with several teeth of irregular form, and there is little
similarity between the two : the right mandible has growing
from its upper margin, near the extremity, a tooth, which is
directed forwards, and equals the extreme apex in length, so
that the apex of this mandible may be termed bifid, while the
left mandible, being without this tooth, has the apex simple:
NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS. 365
the antenn(B are 10-jointed, the joints from the 2nd to the 7th
inclusive, are very short and of nearly equal size, the 8th, 9th
and 10th are dilated laterally, and form a small but obvious
mass or club : the prothorax is very convex ; it is wider than
long ; its greatest diameter is about the middle, and its least
diameter is anteriorly ; its lateral margins are crenate : the
elytra are rather narrower than XhQ prothorax : the joints of
the tarsi are rather elongate, and each is furnished with an
obvious pilosity.
Sp. Caco. squamosus. Fusco-testaeeus, splendore metallico modeste de-
coratus: rugose ac irregulariter panctus; squamis argenteis sparsis
ovalibus omnino teotus. (Corp. long, cum mandibulis '9 unc. lat. '35
unc).
The colour is a testaceous brown, displaying, as the light
falls on it at various angles, obvious although not brilliant
metallic hues : every part of the insect is somewhat irregu-
larly punctured, and is covered with small silvery oval scales,
one of which appears to be attached in each puncture.
Inhabits ? I received this insect through the hands
of Mr. Bowerbank, direct from Sydney, and the pin appeared
similar to those used for other insects in the same collection,
evidently from that locality, yet I cannot help expressing a
doubt of its country, which I should have supposed to be
Assam, or some neighbouring region of continental Asia.
Natural Order.— CARABITES, Newman.
Genus. — Silphomorpha, Westwood.
Silphomorpha is a genus separated by Mr. Westwood from
the Pseudomorpha of Kirby, under which name I had unhe-
sitatingly described the present species. Mr. Westwood has
remarked of the genera Pseudomorpha, Adelotopus, Sphallo-
morpha and Silphomorpha, that '* they possess so many cha-
racters in common, that they would doubtless be considered
as belonging to the same genus, were they not carefully ex-
amined. All of them possess the same formation of legs,
mandibles, inaxillae, minute maxillary palpi, truncate labial
palpi, &c." — * Transactions of the Lin. Soc. Lond.' vol. xviii.
page 416.
Sp. Silph. maculata. Picea, prothoracis elytrorumque marginibus la-
teralibus late albidis, utriusquc elytri maculge 2 albidee. (Corp, long.
•3 unc. lat. -15 unc.)
366 NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS.
Head pitchy-black, glabrous: proiJiorax pitchy-black,
with a longitudinal median line of a redder hue, and the late-
ral margins broadly bordered with white : elytra pitchy-black,
with a broad, white, lateral, marginal line, and two conspi-
cuous white spots on each ; of these the anterior is about
equidistant from the sutural and lateral margins, and near-
ly touches the basal margin, at its lower extremity it is
notched ; the posterior is more elongated ; it touches neither
of the margins : the under parts of the insect, together with
its legs, are pale testaceous.
Inhabits New Holland. A single specimen taken by Mr.
A. H. Davis near Adelaide.
Natural Order.— CETONIITES, Newman.
Genus. — Diaphonia, Newman.
E Cetonid prsBcipue difFert antennaram sexubus duobus discrepantia ; la-
mellis in mare elongatis, in fcemind abbreviatis.
The sexes of the species I am about to establish are so
dissimilar, that when my specimens are placed in public col-
lections, I cannot but anticipate their being described as dis-
tinct species, I have therefore saved entomologists this labour
by describing and assigning a name to each sex.
Sp. 1. Dia. dispar, ^ et 2 -
^ {Dia. Ulysses). Antennarum capitulo sordide ferrugineo: caput ni-
grum : protborax testaceus, plaga magna mediana nigra signatus : scu-
tellum nigrum : elytra testacea, vitta suturali nigra : podex testaceus,
abdominis maculis 4 lateralibus nigris; caetera nigra. (Corp. long. 'Qunc.
lat. '5 unc.)
$ {Dia. Penelope). Nigerrima; antennarum capitulo, protboracis
marginibus anticis, singuli elytri linea longitudinal! , basali, abdominis
maculis 4 lateralibus, podicis maculis 2 magnis fere quadratis, ferrugi-
neis. (Corp. long. 1*1 unc. lat. "65 unc.)
Head and prothorax thickly punctured, scarcely glabrous,
scutellum having a few scattered punctures : elytra rugose,
with numerous foveas formed by large confluent punctures ;
each elytron has also three raised smooth stri(B^ the first su-
tural, the second at a considerable distance from the first ;
both these are very distinct ; the interstice between the se-
cond and third, which is very indistinct, is less than that be-
tween the first and second : these strim, and the rugosity of
the elytra, at once distinguish this species from the Cetonia
dorsalis of Donovan, which also belongs to the genus Dia-
phonia . the protibice are furnished with two strong teeth.
NEW SPECIES OF COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS. 367
particularly prominent in the female ; the meso- and metatihi(B
have also two teeth, but the upper tooth is frequently indis-
tinct ; in the males of Dia. dorsalis the protibice are unarmed,
in the females they have one tooth only.
Colour of the male, {Dia. Ulysses). — Lamellw of the an-
^ew^ce dusky ferruginous ; head black: prothoraa: iestsiceousy
with a large, amorphous, discoidal, black spot, which does
not reach any portion of the margin, except that immediately
adjoining the scutellum; in a single specimen I have also seen
it prolonged anteriorly to the head : scutellum black ; elytra
testaceous, with a black sutural stripe, w^hich is not dilated in
the middle ; the podex is testaceous, the abdomen black, with
a few lateral testaceous spots ; legs black.
Colour of the female, [Dia. Penelope). — Antennae, head,
abdomen and legs as in the male : prothorax black, with the
anterior lateral margin femiginous ; elytra black, with a lon-
gitudinal, ferruginous, abbreviated line on each, between the
shoulder and scutellum: podex black, with two large and
somewhat quadrate ferruginous spots.
Inhabits Kangaroo Island, Australasia. Mr. A. H. Davis
has presented to the cabinet of the Entomological Club, both
sexes of this insect.
Genus. — Hispa, Linneus.
Hispa higeneris. Nigra: antennariim articulus hasalis spinam acutam
ferens: prothorax spinis 5 acutis utrinque armatus: elytra profunde
puncta, margine dentato. (Corp. long. '2 unc. lat. '08 unc.)
This singular insect combines the spinous prothorax of
the ijY^cdl HispcB of Europe with the smooth unarmed elytra
of the North American species : the colour is black ; the ba-
sal joint of the antenn<B bears a long, acute, porrected spine:
prothorax armed with five spines on each lateral margin; the
elytra are without spines, glabrous, and impressed with large,
deep, and almost confluent punctures, and the margin is arm-
ed with a series of short regular teeth.
Inhabits South Australia. One specimen taken at Adelaide
by Mr. A. H. Davis.
k
Natural Order.— CERAMBYCITES, Newman.
Genus. — Caluchroma, Latreille.
Call, duealis. Antennce nigrse ; caput aeneum, inter antennas gibberuni,
longitudinaliter striatum : prothorax aeueus, lanugiue atro-purpuiea, se-
368 REMARKABLE VARIETY OF VANESSA URTIC.E.
ricea, mutabili vestitus : elytra attenuata, lanugine atropurpurea vestita:
abdomen late asneum : pro- et mesofemora rubra, apice nigra ; metafe-
momm dimidium basalem rubrum, apicalem nigrum. (Corp. long. 1*7
unc. lat. '45 unc.) i
Antennae black : head glossy golden green, the space be-
tween the antennce is considerably elevated and longitudi-
nally striated, the space between the eyes is depressed : pro-
thorax golden green, and partially clothed with a velvetty
down, the colour of which is a rich, changeable, black-purple :
elytra attenuated towards the apex, of a velvetty black-purple
colour : the under side of the insect is a bright metallic green ;
the pro- and mewfemora are red, with the extreme apex black;
the metafemora have the basal half red, the apical half black;
the tihiiJB and tarsi are entirely black.
Inhabits Navigator's Island. This splendid insect was
presented by His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, to the
collection of the British Museum.
Notice of a remarkable variety o/" Vanessa Urticae taken at
Coventry. — As several instances of remarkable varieties in in-
sects have been recorded in former volumes of the * Maga-
zine of Natural History,' I trust I need make no apology on
the present occasion, for craving a small space in your pages,
to notice a very beautiful and extraordinary variety of Va-
nessa Urticce [Sup, PL xv.], which was taken during a dry
season in the month of August, about five or six years ago,
by Mr. Gee, in his garden at Coventry, and is now in his
possession. This insect presents an appearance so widely
different from that of the ordinary specimens of Vanessa
Urticce, that at first sight, it might readily be mistaken for a
distinct species. Indeed, the gentleman who first drew my
attention to it, himself an entomologist, observed to me that
it was unlike anything he had ever seen before, so much so,
that he knew not what to call it. There is, however, gene-
rally, about these unusual varieties, a certain indescribable
something, which enables a practised eye to detect the spe-
cies to which they belong. The present insect, in spite of
its dissimilarity, I feel no hesitation in at once referring to
Vanessa Urticce. The specimen, I should add, was in the
freshest and most perfect condition when captured, having
apparently but just emerged from the chrysalis. The accom-
panying coloured plate, w^hich is an accurate representation
of the insect, will give a more correct idea of it, than could
be conveyed by the most lengthened verbal description, — W.
T. Bree.—Allesley Rectory, May 21, 1840,
:pi. XV.
\
^/fe^^.
^i/ti/ty.
THE MAGAZINE
NATURAL HISTORY.
AUGUST 1840.
Art. I. — -Additional Notices of Species of the Genus Equus. By
Edward Blyth, Esq.
(Vide p. 81 et seq.)
It did not occur to me when I wrote the paper above re-
ferred to, that I had read an elaborate essay by M. Marcel
des Serres, on the animals represented in the celebrated Pr^e-
nestine mosaic, wherein it is suggested that a second spe-
cies of Equus, it would appear, according to the restricted
application of this term proposed by Mr. J. E. Gray, that
is, as distinguished from Asinus, Gray (constituted by the
species with callosities on the fore-limbs only), is indicated
upon that antique monument. A translation of this memoir
is published in the ' Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal,'
vols. xvi. pp. 160, 205 ; xvii. 268 ; and xviii. 59.
" Two species of SoUdungula," remarks the author, " are
figured upon the mosaic of Palestrina. The first represents
the common Horse {Equus caballus, Linn.) • whilst the se-
cond, under which is written the name Afvf, seems to be a
race which is lost and destroyed [?] . Prior to the epoch of the
first ages of the empire, this word would have been written
Av^^. The animal to which this name is erroneously attached
appears to be a species of Equus, between the Djigguitai
and the Quagga. It has nothing in common with the Lynx
of the ancients, which was the Loup Cervier [Qy. Felis
pardina, Oken, the beautiful Spanish Lynx now living in
the Zoological Society's menagerie ?] , as has been well re-
marked by Perrault [Mem. de V Acad, des Sc. depuis 1666,
jusqu'a 1669, torn, i., prern. part., p. 131.) : the slightest ex-
amination, indeed, suffices to show that the animal named
Lynx in the mosaic has solid feet, or which terminate in a
single hoof, together with the body, head, and tail peculiar
to the Horse. In conformity with these characters, then, this
Vol. IV.— -No. 44. n. s. 2 z
370 ADDITIONAL NOTICES OF SPECIES
species is neither the Djigguitai nor the Quagga, and still
less the Ass or the Zebra. It would therefore constitute a
species which is now lost [?] ; supposing that it has really
existed with the form and proportions which are bestowed
on it in the antique. On this point,'* M. Serres continues,
*^ we may again remark that this is the more probable, since
the figures of the mosaic are generally so well delineated, as
to lead us to conclude that they were copied from nature."
To judge, however, from the representation of this mosaic
published in the Appendix to Shaw's ^ Travels in Barbary,'
1 should be disposed to place no reliance on the authenticity
of the figure there indicated by the name mentioned, at least
as representing a peculiar species ; for I do not perceive in
what respect it differs from a horse, excepting that no hair
whatever appears on the tail. Whether Shaw has supplied
an accurate copy of the original, I have no means of deter-
mining. M. Serres contends that the Hippotiger of Dion
refers to the Zebra, and that therefore the ancients were ac-
quainted with species peculiar to South Africa ; this position
is untenable, since the range of the Zebra extends northward
to Abyssinia; and the 'Karco^esjr of ^lian, referred by Cu-
vier to the White -tailed Gnoo, is equally applicable (as sug-
gested by Mr. Ogilby) to the Cape Buffalo, which also extends
northward to Abyssinia; or supposing the Catoblepas Brook-
sii of Col. Hamilton Smith to be a true species, it may allude
to this, the locality of which is unknown^. By the term Djig-
guitai {E, hemiomis), M. Serres probably alludes to the Khur ;
and he observes that the animal in question was domesticated
by the Greeks in many provinces of Asia. I have somewhere
read that three different Hebrew appellations are rendered
by the term j4ss in the various translations of the Old Tes-
tament, and that the Asses of Saul were of the wild kind,
denominated in their native region K/iur, which sufficiently
accounts for their alleged value.
^' Wild Asses" of some sort, it would appear, are ^^ common
in the districts of the Thebaid " (vide Wilkinson's ^Domestic
Manners of the Ancient Egyptians/ iii. 21.), and a "wild
Ass" is mentioned in the narrative of Lander's expedition
(p. 571.). Are these of the striped kind noticed by Bruce ?
Or are they of the species termed " Isabelline Zebra" by
Levaillant ? Or may they not be Khurs, and at the same
time identical with Levaillant's animal ? In the island of So-^
cotra, Lieut. Wellsted mentions that " Amidst the hills over
Tamarida, and on the plain contiguous to it, there are a great
number of Asses, which were described to me as different
^ For note, see the end of the present Number.
OF THE GENUS EQUUS. 3?!
from the domestic Ass ; but after repeated opportunities of
observing them, I could find no reason for such a distinction.
The introduction of Camels,*' he remarks, ^^ having super-
seded the necessity of employing them as beasts of burden,
they are permitted to stray where they please, and now wan-
der about in troops of ten or twelve, evincing little fear unless
approached very near, when they dart away with much ra-
pidity." (Journ. Geog. Soc. 1835, p. 202.) Azara notices,
of those which have gone wild in South America, and espe-
cially about Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, where he states that
the increasing population was fast destroying them, that those
which he saw appeared to be somewhat larger than the do-
mestic ones of Paraguay, but smaller than the common asses
of Spain ; nor does that large race, which is there used for
the breeding of mules, exist in these parts. They also ap-
pear to have larger and stiffer ears than in my native country."
Russell, in his 'Natural History of Aleppo,' p. 58, remarks,
that the Levantine nations have two principal breeds of
Asses ; '' one very large, with remarkably long ears ; the
other small, and much like ours in England."
Those of Upper Egypt, according to Sonnini, are par-
ticularly handsome, but they degenerate towards the Delta.
Eraser states, that " the Asses of Omaun are celebrated as
the best in Arabia, and individuals of the best breeds sell for
very extravagant prices." (Journey to Khorassan, p. 18.)
Not, however, that the Asses of warm countries are inva-
riably superior to those of the north ; for the domestic breed
of India is remarkably small, and Col. Sykes states that in
the Deccan they are scarcely bigger than a Newfoundland
Dog. In Egypt it appears that the fine breed of that country
has existed from very remote antiquity, to judge from the
ancient paintings, w^here the cross -line of the shoulders is
represented in every instance that I have seen.
There is reason, I suspect, to infer that the Persians distin-
guish the Khur from the Goor-Khur, Ghore-Khur, Gur^
Khor, Gour-Khor, or sometimes simply Gour (which is not
to be confounded with the Gaour, Bos gaurus, of India) ;
one of these animals inhabiting chiefly the west, and the other
the eastern portion of that country : the true Djigguitai is,
however, clearly indicated in Morier's second ' Journey
through Persia' (p. 200), as the ''wild Ass" of Casvin, not
far from Tabriz, " of a light mouse colour, with a dark streak
over the shoulders and down the back;" and it is probably
that mentioned in 'Johnson's Journey' (p. 149.), as "found
in the salt plains near Tehraun, and in greater numbers to-
wards Mansila." The Hon. Mountstewart Elphinstone, in
his ' Account of the Kingdom of Caboul,' notices it, by the
372 NOTICES OF SPECIBS OF THE GENUS EQUUS.
appellation Goor-khur, as an inhabitant of the deserts between
India and Affghanistan. " It is called/' he says, '' Gour by
the Persians, and is usually seen in herds, though often singly,
straying away in the wantonness of liberty/' Tliose exhi-
bited in European menageries have been mostly, if not ex-
clusively, captured in the Thurr, or great sandy desert north
of Cutch. The " wild Asses'" of Mesopotamia, on the other
hand, and at the foot of Taurus, as mentioned by Mr. Ains-
worth, those of Arabia, and perhaps of the Thebaid and else-
where on the African continent, are probably all of the kind
that has no mesial stripe down the back, as noticed in two in-
dividuals by Sir R. K. Porter. If it should turn out that the Khur
and Ghoor-khur are really distinct, as also the Kiang^ of Thi-
bet, the near approximation of so many species (to which may
be added the common Ass) will render it desirable that the
Equus hemionus of Pallas should be compared with the " wild
Ass" of Cutch, which latter, I believe, has never any trace of
colouring upon the limbs, except a very faint tinge at their com-
mencement, whereas the other appears to have the exterior sur-
face of its limbs not much paler than the parts above. The "wild
Ass " of M. Gmelin, also, figured with a cross upon its back in
the continuation of M. Schreber's work by M. Wagner, and
remarkable for the silvery white of its under parts ascending
from the flanks in front of each haunch to join that on
either side of the dorsal line, a particular carefully described
as well as figured, might advantageously be compared with
the domestic E. asinus. The female observed by M. Gmelin
had no cross stripe over its shoulder, such as was found in
the male, and is, I believe, invariably constant in the com-
mon animal ', whilst in the Mongolian wild Ass, M. Gmelin
was informed that the mark referred to is by no means
constant (as his two specimens testified), and that some-
times there is even a double cross-band over the shoulders.
Prof. Gmelin succeeded in bringing his female wild ass,
together with a colt, to St. Petersburgh ; and he remarks
that she sometimes passed two days without drinking, and
preferred brackish water to fresh : she carried her head
higher than the common tame Ass, her ears well elevated,
and evinced much spirit and vivacity in all her movements,
such as we are accustomed to observe of the Djigguitai.
Mr. Moorcroft, the same writer from whose ' Travels ' I
quoted the previous notices of the Kiang, remarks, in the ac-
count of his ^ Journey to Lake Manasurovara' (' As. Res.^ vol.
xii.), that "the wild Horse {E,quagga), the wild Ass (GAoor-
^ It should be mentioned that the red-legged Chough (Fregilus graculus),
which abounds in many districts of the Himalayahs, is termed Kyany in
Bhootan. Vide ' Asiatic Researches/ xvii. 16.
VIEW OP THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL, ETC. 373
khur^ Onagra) , and I believe the mule, the offspring of these
animals, are found in abundance on the mountains of Tartary'';
and again, — " This day we saw more wild Horses than on any
former one, also several wildi^sses of the kind called Gurkhor,
and I believe the mules. The Asses are a little less than the
Horses" (p. 462.). And in another place (p. 512.), he de-
scribes meeting with " many wild Asses, and some animals
which are thought more like Mules than either Horses or
Asses." Here there can be little doubt three distinct species
are noticed, viz. the true wild Horse, either the wild Ass or
the Djigguitai, and probably the Kiang. The latter is noticed
by the same author in the * Transactions of the Royal Asiatic
Society,' vol. i. p. 55, as '^ a nondescript wild variety [species]
of Horse, which appeared to be about fourteen hands high, of a
round muscular form, with remarkably clean limbs. Not more
than a dozen came within view, and they were all out of
shot. A native of the district was directed to lie in wait, and
a suitable remuneration was offered for the skin, head, and
organs of voice for dissection. The man," continues the au-
thor, " has completed his task, and I shall have these mat-
ters as soon as the Pass of Changlung will admit of being
traversed." Should the executors of the late Mr. Moorcroft
possess any notes by him of such examination, the publica-
tion of them would be acceptable to zoologists. In the ' Asi«
atic Researches,' vol. xviii. pt. II. p. 247, Mr. Gerard seems
to allude to this animal, as resisting every attempt to tame
it when caught, so that it has never been domesticated : and
Dr. Gerard met with '^ great herds of Kiangs" at an altitude
of I7j700 feet. Mr. Moorcroft likewise notices, in his ^Tra-
vels,' (1. 370, after at p. 311, indicating the Kiang as distinct),
that " the Ghor-khur or wild Ass," whichever species is
meant it is useless to attempt to determine, '^ is common in
Chan- than." Finally, it may be mentioned that the word
^' Asses" occurs in the interesting list of wild animals inha-
biting the Malay peninsula, published in the 1 8th volume of
the ' Asiatic Researches,' p. 159 ; but from the context I
cannot doubt that it is a misprint for Apes.
February 14, 1840. Edw. Blyth.
Art. II. — View of the Fauna of Brazil, anterior to the last Geologi-
cal Revolution. By Dr. Lund.
{Continued from page 317.)
After this brief description of the extinct fauna of the
genera and species once living here, which I have accom-
374 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
panied, at the end of each family, with the observations
they more immediately called forth, I presume to direct the
Society's attention to the general considerations that natu-
rally arise respecting the peculiarities of that ancient fauna,
and its relation to the present. Of the four orders into
which mammals are divided, we find on this continent repre-
sentatives both in the former and modern period. The most
numerous of these orders, as well for genera as species, is
now that of Myoidea ; next to which follows that of AcleU
dota, then Bruta, and last of all Quadrwnana. This rela-
tive proportion in the orders, with regard to their contents
of genera and species, was not the same formerly, as it is
now. The order Acleidota was the most numerous; next
followed Myoidea, then Bruta, then Quadrumana, as the
following table will more clearly show : —
GeE
lera.
Species.
now.
then.
now. then.
Bruta . . .
. 0-18
0-27
0-10 0-20
Acleidota . .
. 0-24
0-39
0-30 0-42
Myoidea . .
. 0-49
0-30
0-54 0-33
Quadrumana .
. 0-09
0-03
0-05 0-02
This change in the relative richness of the orders is occa-
sioned principally by the appearance in the latter period of
the numerous family of Bats ; which, as far as our re-
searches have gone, appear not to have existed in the fossil
period.
Of the sixteen families into which the four orders of
mammals are subdivided, nine are now found in this di-
strict, namely, the Myrmecophaga, Armadillo, Ruminants^
Pachydermata, Ferce (predatory beasts). Marsupials, Bo-
dents, Bats, and Apes, Of these nine, one is hitherto want-
ing to the list of the families belonging to the extinct
Fauna, in like manner as one that played a conspicuous
part formerly, the Sloth, is no longer found in these parts.
Again, with regard to the comparative richness of the other
families, the two periods -do not entirely agree ; as far, at
least, as we can conclude from the confessedly imperfect list
we as yet possess of the fossil species. In both periods the
family of Rodents is the most abundant, both in genera and
species; next to which follow Ferce ; but this latter is
proved to have been richer in genera, and probably also in
species, then than now. The most marked difference, how-
ever, is in the family of Ruminants, which in the former
period contained a much larger quotient, both of genera and
species, than in the modern. The same is also the case,
though not in so high a degree, with the Armadillos and
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 375
Pachyderrnata* The other families present too few num-
bers to pronounce with certainty on this point. The follow-
ing table will better explain these proportions : —
Genera.
Species.
now.
then.
now.
then.
Edentata . .
. 0-03
0-03
0-03
0-02
Effodientia .
. 0-15
0-18
0-07
0-13
Tardigrada
. 0-00
0-06
0-00
007
Ruminantia .
. 0-03
0-12
0-07
0-13
Pachydermata
. 0-06
0-09
0-04
0-11
Ferae . . .
. 0-15
0-18
0-19
0-18
Marsupialia .
. 0-03
0-03
007
0-04
Glires . . .
. 0-27
0-27
0-26
0-29
Chiroptera
. 0 18
0-00
0-19
0-00
Simiae . . .
. 0-09
0-03
0-06
0-02
If now we turn to a general consideration of the genera
of the extinct fauna with reference to their agreement with
the present, we find that out of the thirty-two genera (lea-
ving out the fossil Rodent above-mentioned, which I have not
yet been able to identify) which the extinct class of mam-
mals has hitherto afforded us, eighteen still inhabit this di-
strict, while fourteen are no longer found here. We thus see
that the deeper we examine the subordinate divisions of the
system, the greater is the agreement between the ancient
and the recent faunas ; so much so, that more than half the
genera are identical for the two periods. The genera com-
mon to both may be conveniently divided into two groups,
which are of very unequal importance in developing the
history of our globe. Under the first group I class those
genera that are common to both the Old and New World,
and which are therefore not adapted to throw any light on
the peculiar types of animal life belonging to this continent
in former periods. These genera are only six; namely,
Cervus, Tapirus, Felis, Canis, Lejms, and Mus. The
second group consists of the genera which are at present
confined to this quarter of the globe. It is more numerous
than the first, and contains the following twelve genera : —
Myrmecophaga, Dasypus, Dicotyles, Eyrara, Nasua, Di-
delphis, Echimys, Synoetheres, Ancema^ Dasyprocta, CceIo-
genys, and Hydrochcerus. The first glance at this group is
sufficient to show that '^ the fauna which inhabited the
tropical highlands of Brazil previous to the last re-construc-
tion of our earth, was in its fundamental types the same as
is now found there." This result is of vast importance with
reference to the theory of the relations of development in
the organic productions of our planet ; and I reserve for a
376 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
future opportunity the consideration of some of the weight-
iest consequences that result from this fact.
Turning next to the genera belonging to the extinct
fauna which are no longer found in this district, we are
able to separate them also tolerably well into two divisions ;
of which the first will contain those that have entirely dis-
appeared from the earth's surface, and the other those which
still exist, but at a greater or lesser distance from the spot
where their remains are now discovered. The former of
these divisions includes ten genera — Euryodon, Heterodon,
Chlamydotherium, Hoplophorus^ Pachytherium, Coelodon,
Megalonyx, Leptotherium, Mastodon, and Protopithecus,
If now we consider more closely the genera comprised in
this division, we find that far the greatest proportion of them
belong to the order of sloths {Bruta), and that they are
composed of large clumsy animals, whose extraordinary in-
harmonious organization seems to have contained the seed
of its destruction. The second of these divisions is com-
posed of only four genera — Antelope, Camel, Bear, and
Hycena; but the existence of these animals in the Brazilian
highlands in the former period is a phaenomenon of the
highest interest, and calculated to awaken the most import-
ant considerations. I have shown that the fossil species of
Camel belonged unquestionably to the under-group of Auche-
nias, and that we therefore have to seek the modern habitat
of this form in the chain of the Andes ', also that the fossil
species of Bear seems in like manner most to resemble
those which in our time inhabit the same mountain range.
With regard to the third genus, Antelope, we must certainly,
in the present state of our knowledge, consider it a form
peculiar to the Old World. I have, however, already alluded
to the possibility of a representative of this genus being
eventually found also in the Andes. On the other hand, the
last of these four genera, Hyasna, leaves us no other re-
source than the striking conclusion, that the plains of South
America formerly sustained genera of mammals which, at
the present time, are confined to the hot zone of the Old
World ; and we have seen that this conclusion is still fur-
ther corroborated by the two subgenera of Cynailuriis and
Speothos; forms that, in the existent creation, are only
found in the warm districts of the Old World, but which
have left indubitable traces of their presence in the extinct
fauna of this continent.
If we next descend to the lowest step in the subdivisions
of the system, that is to species, and compare the extinct
with the existing, we are again led to separate them into two
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 377
divisions, of which the first contains those animals that con-
siderably differ from all now living, while the second includes
such as resemble the present order of creation. Before,
however, I proceed to distinguish these fossil species, I must
first put aside those of which I either possess too imperfect
specimens to allow me to institute any satisfactory compari-
son, or else the osteology of the correspondent recent species
is not sufficiently known to me. To this class belong seven
species, namely, Tapir, Cervus, the small species of Tiger,
Fox, Coata-mundi, and the lesser kind of Capivar. I do
not add to this list either the species of Mtis or Didel-
phis. Not because I want the necessary materials for
comparison, but because a complete comparison of these
species requires lengthened and accurate previous exami-
nation of the osteology of the recent kinds, a labour to
which I have not as yet had the opportunity of devoting
myself. Taking away these eleven species, there remain forty-
three, which will serve for the foundation of our comparison.
I begin with the species of the four genera. Camel, Antelope,
Bear, and Hycena', which, as we have seen, are indeed not now
found in the Highlands of Brazil, but have not ceased to con-
tinue their existence in other parts of our earth. We have
before observed that the two species of the genus Camel ex-
cluded, by their very size, any suspicion of their conformity
with the existing species of this genus. With regard to the
three other genera, Bear, Antelope, and Hycena, nothing but
direct comparison can positively decide the question as to
their identity with the respective species inhabiting the chain
of the Andes, and the Old World ; at the same time I cannot
but think that the result of the investigations I am about to
detail will leave little room for doubt on this subject. In
order, however, to remove all uncertainty from the compari-
son I am instituting, I will cast out these three also, so that
only forty species remain to be considered. In the first di-
vision, which comprises all those species which differ con-
siderably from those now living here, we may first of all class
all those that belong to genera that have entirely disappeared
from the earth's surface. These, as we have seen, are the
following ten : Euryodon, Heterodon, Chlamydotherium,
Hoplophorus, Pachytheriimi, Ccelodon, Megalonyx, Lep-
totherium, Mastodoii, and Protopithecus : these genera com-
prise fourteen species ; to which we may add the undeter-
mined genus of Rodent, with a single species,and the lately
mentioned species of Camel; in all seventeen species.
I now come to the genera that are now, as formerly, found
in this district, excluding those species which either the first
Vol. IV.~No. 44. n. s. 3 a
378 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
glance or longer examination have satisfied me to be different
from the recent. These species are seventeen, viz. the
gigantic Ant-bear, the four species of Peccari, the large
Tiger, Cynailiirus, the Cave-wolf, the Cave-jackall, the
Honey -glutton [Eyrara), the largest species of Spiny -rat,
the large Cuandii [Hystrix prehensilis), the gigantic Cutia,
the three species of Paca, and lastly, the gigantic Capivar.
Adding now these seventeen species to the seventeen before
described, we have thirty -four out of forty that are decidedly
different from existing species. The second division of the
fossil species is composed of those which, from the more or
less considerable portions that I possess of their skeletons,
show so great a conformity to the living species, that I have
not been able to discover any specific difference. These are
the following six : one species of genus Dasypus, two spe-
cies of Echimys, the fossil Rabbit, the Perea, and a fossil
species of Cutia, Thus the proportion of the conformable
to the unconformable species is as 6 to 34.
In this manner we have seen, as we gradually descend in
our comparison of orders, families, genera, and down to spe-
cies, that at each step the unconformity between the ancient
and present fauna increases. This difference, indeed, is so
great in the last step of all, that one may well be tempted to
propose tlie question, whether this slight bond of connexion
wherewith we see them linked together, is really fashioned
by nature herself, or is only attributable to our imperfect
methods and means of comparison. The decision of this
question being of the highest importance to science, the
Society will allow me to dwell a little longer on the subject.
I would wish first to remark, that the conclusion on which
the identity of the six species with the existing fauna is
founded, is far from possessing the certainty of that which
determines the unconformity of the other thirty-four. I do
not possess a perfect skeleton of any one of these six species ;
and it is very possible that these fossil species, though agree-
ing with the recent in those portions that I possess, might
differ from them in others, with which I am not acquainted.
This possibility has, in fact, been proved in the case of one of
the extinct genera, the Paca. I had in my possession a vast
quantity of the remains of this genus, which showed so
striking a resemblance to the living species, that I at first
referred the fossil animal to it, until the examination of the
respective skulls, as I have before observed, convinced me
not only of their specific difference, but also proved to me
the existence of two distinct species among the fossils of this
genus. If, therefore, we were to allow analogy to be our
PRKVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 379
guide, we ought to suppose for the other few species that are
in the same circumstances as were the fossil species of Paca,
until complete comparisons enable us to settle the question,
a similar condition, that is a specific difference from the
living species^ to which they show a greater or less con-
formity.
I think, therefore, that I am supported by the highest de-
gree of probability, approaching in most points to certainty,
in confidently laying down this result, that the pre-existing
race of mammals in South America, as far as regards spe-
cies, was entirely different from that which now inhabits
this same continent. Cuvier was led to the same result by
his examination of the extinct fauna of the Old World ; and
the more this important conclusion has been doubted and
combated by later naturalists, the more am I gratified in
being enabled, by my researches in this quarter of the globe,
to corroborate it.
Having thus cast a cursory glance at the extinct mammals
which last existed in this district, and having next considered
more closely their relation to the modern fauna that has suc-
ceeded them on the same spot, we will now advance from
this foundation, and by the help of these new facts, where-
with science has been enlarged, endeavour to elucidate seve-
ral important points in the history of our globe. It had
been a firmly received maxim in science, that the tropical
zone, at least in its lower portions, was either entirely unin-
habited in the period that immediately preceded the present
state of things, or at any rate was very thinly inhabited.
The present inquiry has, on the contrary, proved that this
zone, far from having been uninhabited at that time, dis-
played a richness and variety in its animal kingdom, which
seem far to surpass what nature is able to maintain there in
our days. We have seen that this position is certain for the
greater portion of the families composing the class of mam-
mals, and that it is true for the whole of them, as far as
genera are concerned ; but that it may be equally so for
them, with reference also to species, no one surely will doubt
when he thinks of the great number of species that have at
once been discovered, upon the very first glance we have
cast behind the curtain of that extinct fauna, a number so very
little inferior to that of the living races. This probability must
undoubtedly appear to every one so strong by itself, that I
cannot but consider it almost superfluous to corroborate it
by the following considerations. The extinct fauna is in the
natural course of things withdrawn from our observation :
only favourable circumstances, and luckily conducted explora-
380 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
tions, have brought to light some isolated specimens of its
scattered remains ; while, on the contrary, the existent crea-
tion presents itself of its own accord to our eye, so that sooner
or later it must be the entire property of science. We may,
therefore, consider the list of existing species in that class of
animals of which we are now speaking, as almost complete ;
whereas we may expect with every day an increase to the
catalogue of extinct species.
This poverty of animal forms, that had hitherto been ima-
gined to mark the tropical zone, was endeavoured to be ex-
plained by the supposition of an extraordinarily high temper-
ature, that prevented the development of animal life. We
now know that this supposition, and the facts on which it was
grounded, are equally without foundation. The tropical zone
enjoyed at that period a temperature which not only did not
prevent the development of animal life, but was even far
more favourable to it than that which it at present possesses.
If we have a right to suppose that the richness and variety
of organic productions, and their development with regard
to size, are in proportion to temperature, — a proposition
which is generally received, and when viewed on a large scale
is confirmed by experience, — then undoubtedly we cannot
but ascribe a higher temperature to that zone in ancient
times than it now enjoys ; but this excess of heat is yet
much less than what naturalists were hitherto disposed to
claim for it on the foundation of an incorrect fact.
It would be an important task to compare the extinct
mammals of tropical America with the correspondent fauna
of the temperate and frigid zones of the same continent. But
unfortunately the insufficiency of our materials prevents us
from instituting any such comparison. Our knowledge of
the fauna inhabiting the corresponding zones in the Old
World is much more complete ; but even there several cir-
cumstances forbid a direct comparison. In the first place,
the tropical zone in the Old World, at the present time, is
richer in species of mammals than the same region in the
New World. In the second place, the extent of country
through which the fossils belonging to the former age of the
earth have been sought for on the old continent, is infinitely
greater than the district in which I have had the opportunity
of pursuing my investigations. In the third place, the length
of time during which the fossils have been collected in the
Old World, and the number of scientific collectors interested
therein, are both very considerable ; whereas the description
here attempted of the extinct fauna of S. America is the
fruit of two years' labour of a solitary individual. Taking
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 381
these modifying circumstances into consideration, I think
that a comparison between the extinct fauna of tropical
America, and of extra-tropical Europe will not be without
use,
[Dr. Lund here refers to a Table, marked 4, which, as he
says in a note, '' represents the state of our knowledge on
this point of fossil zoology at the time when Cuvier con-
cluded his inquiries respecting it ; and I am not aware that
there have been any subsequent additions, of essential im-
portance, with regard to number of species/^]
If we now compare this description with the list of South
America's extinct mammals, we see that the latter exceeds
the other in number, both of species and genera ; and if we
further lay in the scale all the circumstances to which I have
just drawn attention, it is very clear that we must allow to
the tropical region of America a far richer fauna in the an-
cient period, than to the extra-tropical portion of the Old
World. Such a disproportion between these two zones, with
reference to their animal productions, can only be explained
by the supposition of a corresponding difference in temper-
ature ; so that we see it results from these considerations as
a very probable consequence, that at that epoch also, as now,
the surface of our planet presented a difference of tempera-
ture, according to geographical latitude, in other words, cli-
matic distinctions had already begun to act.
But as surely as the extra-tropical portions of our globe
were already at that period inferior in temperature to the
tropical, equally certain is it that they then enjoyed a higher
temperature than is now allotted to them. When we see
that the class of extinct mammals, found in the extra-tro-
pical zone of the Old World, surpasses that now living there
in variety and abundance of forms, as well as for the most
part in number of species ; when we also see that the prin-
cipal of these forms are such as in the present creation are
peculiar to the tropics ; surely the most prejudiced person
must be led to conclude that the temperature of those which
are now the temperate and frigid zones, must have formerly
more or less corresponded to the actual heat of the tropical
^ It is not my intention here to revive the much-canvassed subject of the
haiiy Elephants and Rhinoceros of Siberia ; but I cannot forbear remark-
ing, how very hasty they were who endeavoured at once to draw from this
phsenoraenon the conclusion that the cHmateof Siberia cannot have changed.
In the first place, this hairy covering is found on a very great number of
tropical animals ; secondly, it has in this instance struck us so much, be-
cause it occurred in an animal that we are accustomed to see without any
382 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
A glance at our list of the extinct mammalian fauna of
Brazil, will be sufficient to show that in its main features it
bore the same stamp as the system that has succeeded it in
the same region. This peculiarity in South America's ex-
isting fauna is in harmony with the isolated position and the
form of this continent. When, therefore, we find this same
peculiarity in its animal productions in that former period,
we are emboldened to conclude that its general form and
boundaries were the same then as now. The existence at
that time of generic forms in South America, which at pre-
sent are peculiar to the Old World, such as the Hyaena and
Antelope, can no more weaken the force of this conclusion,
than the present existence of a genus in South America, be-
longing to the New Holland family of Marsupials, is sufficient
to prove that the two continents are now united together.
On the other side, the proof of the existence of one and the
same species of mammal, in the warmer regions of Europe
and in South America, would be a phaenomenon calculated to
strengthen the uniform result to which all our examinations
have hitherto led us. And exactly such a specific identity
between inhabitants of the old and new continents is known
to have occurred in those times : the authority for this is
Cuvier. As accident would have it, the very first specimen
such protection. It is, however, certain that the Indian Elephant's want
of hair arises from slavery and confinement ; and that in its wild state it is
provided with a hairy coat, which is most abundant on the younger ani-
mals, and which increases so much in the colder mountain chains, that it
is said they are sometimes met with " as hairy as Poodles," according to
the expression used by Bishop Heber. This may appear somewhat over-
stretched, but Mr. G. Fairholm has instituted the most rigorous inves-
tigation on this subject, and has satisfied himself of the fact. Again, if we
conclude that this hairiness of the fossil Elephant afford proof of a polar
climate in those regions where it dwelt, we must extend this climate over
the whole of Southern Europe, throughout which, and particularly in Sicily
near Palermo, have I found the bones of the fossil Elephant, with those
of the Hippopotamus. And lastly, we must not forget, that even if these
animals, thus provided with a thick coat of hair, could withstand the cli-
mate of Northern Siberia, such as it is in our time, still the scanty vege-
tation of that region could not possibly have afforded adequate nourish-
ment to these colossal creatures, that appear to have lived there in consi-
derable numbers ; the more so, inasmuch as the Elephant, by reason of its
dental provisions, is principally confined to feeding on leaves of trees ;
whereas not only all arboreal vegetation is absent throughout a great ex-
tent of the polar zone, where these bones are found in vast quantities, but
also all vegetation whatever is suspended during a great part of the year.
This last objection has been endeavoured to be removed by the supposi-
tion that they were migratory animals, which migrated southwards at the
approach of winter ; but it seems to be forgotten that it is precisely on the
islands of the Frozen Ocean that these bones are found the most abundantly.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 383
of South America's antediluvian fauna that was submitted to
that great zoologist's notice {Mastodon angustidens) came
under this category. It is easy to conceive that such a cir-
cumstance should excite in that deep philosopher especial
attention to this continent and its ancient inhabitants ; and
in fact it did raise doubts in his mind of the existence at that
period of the Atlantic Ocean, in its present boundary and posi-
tion, at least. Meanwhile T must remark, that the supposition
of this specific correspondence is founded on so few means of
comparison, that we are bound, by the importance of the con-
clusion, to suspend our decision until further inquiries shall
enable us to come to it with greater certainty : but in what-
ever way this question may eventually be decided, I do not
conceive that this isolated, though confessedly important
phaenomenon can with any justice throw doubt on the cor-
rectness of the above-given result, to which all our other
knowledge of the extinct fauna of this continent has con-
ducted us.
After this glance at the ancient temperature of our globe,
and the form of its continents, I proceed to consider the re-
sults, to which the facts brought forward in this paper may
lead us, with reference to the nature of the great catastrophe
which overwhelmed the animal race, whose remains we have
been considering. I have shown in my previous communi-
cation that the surface of this district, throughout that part
which I have visited, consists of loose soil of different quali-
ties,'among which a red clay is most conspicuous, that often
contains beds of rolled or angular fragments of quartz ;
again, that this same soil fills up all the clefts and cavities
in the rocks ; and that it is in this deposit of soil within the
caves that the bones of the extinct animals are found ; that
the bones lie scattered without order in the soil, often in
astonishing quantities, and that for the most part they are
broken or injured in various ways. Now if we collect under
one point of view all these several circumstances (for the de-
tailed consideration of which I refer to my former paper), it
is evident that there is but one natural solution of them. The
caverns, wherein we find these heaps of bones, served for
dens to predatory animals in the ancient time ; and the
bones that occur there, are the remains of animals that formed
their prey. The injuries to which the bones have been ex-
posed, leave no room for doubt upon the subject. These
bones then, and fragments of bones, lay heaped up on the
floor of the caves, when a vast deluge which covered the whole
land with the deep stratum of loose soil that we now see to
overspread its entire surface, violently burst into the caverns.
384 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BR VZIL
scattered about the heaps of bones, and enveloped them in
the same sedhnentary deposit with which it covered the sur-
face outside the caves. I have traversed this district over
an extent of more than 8000 square miles, and have every-
where discovered the indubitable traces of such a deluge. I
have shown that " Canga/' which exceeds the highest moun-
tain summits in Brazil (6000 ft.), is a contemporaneous for-
mation of the same diluvian deposit ; and I therefore think
I am entitled to consider it as definitively settled that this
portentous catastrophe extended over the whole of this con-
tinent, with the possible exception of the very loftiest moun-
tain tops. In the preceding communication I have shown
that the red clay soil, which is the most general sedimentary
soil of this district, is also that which most abundantly fills
up the caverns. I have there pointed out, that in consequence
of this particular position, the soil has received many extra-
neous additions, of which the most important are, the inter-
mixture of angular or rolled fragments of the limestone in
which the caves occur ; next, the percolation of calcareous
particles, which have formed crystals in its cavities, and
changed it to a mass hard as stone ; and lastly, the intro-
duction of a more or less considerable quantity of bones, for
the most part in fragments, and particularly white in the
fracture.
No naturalist can have read the description of these phae-
nomena without thinking of the osseous breccia on the coasts
of the Mediterranean. I have seen many specimens of this
breccia in the museums of Europe 5 and I can assert that so
perfect is the external resemblance, that without the labels it
would be scarcely possible to distinguish the osseous con-
glomerate of Brazil from its well-known contemporary of
the Old World. The identity of the two formations, there-
fore, in my mind, cannot be disputed.
It will appear evident from the description I have given in
the preceding conmiunication of the loose soil that consti-
tutes the last member in the geognostical formations of this
land, that this bed is identical with those which also in Eu-
rope form the most usual covering to the surface, and which
are distinguished by their greater or lesser abundance of
rolled stones. I have already remarked more than once, that
these beds of soil, with all their characteristic properties,
are found filling up the cavities and chasms in the rocks, and
that they have there undergone some alterations which, how-
ever, leave no room for doubt as to their origin. This iden-
tity between the osseous conglomerate of this country, and
the loose soil of the surface, is easily recognised, and serves
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 385
to throw light on a geological phaenomenon in the Old World,
that has hitherto been veiled in some obscurity : and I trust
that the contemporaneousness of the boulder formation of
Europe, and of the osseous breccia of the northern coast of
the Mediterranean, may from this time be considered an in-
contestable fact in science. This correspondence in respect
to the youngest geological formations at two points of our
planet so far removed from each other, leaves scarcely any
doubt as to the very general operation of the mighty cata-
strophe that effected these formations. If any one wish for
yet another link to this chain of geological coincidences, I
would refer him to the latest researches in New Holland.
I have carefully compared Mr. Henderson's description of
the soil that fills the caves in Wellington Valley, as also
of the conditions under which the bones are there found, and
I recognize the most striking conformity to the circumstances
I have observed in this country. I here close this trea-
tise, which was only intended to give a short view of the ex-
tinct fauna of this district. I have commenced with the
class of mammals, as being the most perfect to be met with
on the theatre of that creation, inasmuch as Man, that
creation's lord, had not yet entered on the scene. I am
well aware how careful we should be in founding a con-
clusion on a negative fact ; but when this negative fact holds
good so constantly as is here the case, in the midst of so
many positive facts that rise around it, and serve each to
confirm it, I think we cannot refuse to it an equal weight
with any of them. And how, I may ask, was it possible
for man to exist in a country so full of fearful beasts of
prey, as was Brazil in those ages ? How especially was it
possible, that amid the vast mass of victims, which the
first glance behind the scenes of that ancient world has shown
us, so weak a creature as man should alone have escaped the
necessity of yielding to physical superiority the sacrifice
that so many more powerful animals were compelled to
offer ? I think we may conclude with certainty, that where
the haunts of the Tiger and Hyaena betray no trace of human
bones, our race had not appeared as an element in the com-
position of the organic world.
This paper having swelled to a much greater compass than
I originally contemplated, I think it will be convenient if I
subjoin a brief survey of the main results of my labours, so
far as they are new to science.
In the period that immediately preceded the last geolo-
gical revolution on the surface of this earth, the tropical
zone was by no means uninhabited, or even scantily provided
Vol. IV— No. 44. n. s. 3 b
386 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
with animal life, as has hitherto been generally supposed,
but, on the contrary, presents an abundance and variety in its
fauna, which appears to have far surpassed what is now ob-
served there. With respect to the class of mammals, the
superiority of the ancient order of creation is proved in the
case of genera, and it is highly probable that the total
amount of species was also greater. The families of Arma-
dilloes and Sloths, together with those of Ruminants and
Pachi/dermata, being more numerous formerly than at pre-
sent both in genera and species ; there is the greatest degree
of probability that this was also the case in the families of
Ferce and Rodents, The family of Sirnice existed at that
period, whereas it seems that Bats were wanting. The
mammalian class of this continent exhibited the same pecu-
liar stamp that now distinguishes it. At the same time, in
the very midst of these peculiar South American forms, ap-
peared some that in our day are confined to the warmer
regions of the Old World. The greater portion of the
genera, of which this country's mammalian fauna formerly
consisted, exist there now : of those which are wanting,
most are entirely extinct, others have disappeared from the
whole of this continent, while a few are confined to the lofty
mountain chains of the western coast.
The existing species are all distinct from the fossil : man
did not exist at that period. From these results, which are
nothing more than a comprehensive expression of facts, I
collect the following more general consequences, which cer-
tainly seem to me to follow necessarily from the above ; but
which, as they rest upon conclusions that may not have equal
force in the eyes of all, should be separated from the former.
The form of the continents was the same in the ancient
period as in the present. The temperature on the entire sur-
face of the earth was higher than now ; but at the same time
it diminished from the equator towards the poles. The na-
tural catastrophe that annihilated the numerous animals with
which the present account has made us acquainted, was an
universal catastrophe that embraced the whole earth. All
life was extinguished on the face of our globe ; a great epoch
in the history of the earth was closed ; and the innumerable
forms under which animal life now appears are the products
of a new creation. In like manner, as in an older formation
(Jura limestone), we see an inferior class of animals (Reptiles)
appear with an extraordinary abundance and variety of forms
and enormity of bulk ; so does this epoch, whose fauna has
formed the subject of the present disquisition, display the
culmination point of the highest class in the animal kingdom,
PRKVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 387
the mammalia. Their time is now past : poor and weak
does this class appear in the actual order of creation, com-
pared with what it was in the former. Thus was it deter-
mined in the plan of Providence : the new theatre was des-
tined to the development of a more exalted creature, the
hour of whose appearance on the stage had sounded ; and
the inordinate proportions of animal life were reduced within
their proper limits. Finally, the extreme degree of heat that
had been so favourable to the increase of organic bulk, gave
way to a milder temperature, that permitted the free deve-
lopment of intelligence ; and the Human period succeeded
the Mammalian,
In order to complete this sketch, I will, in conclusion,
offer a brief view of the contributions of other naturalists to
our knowledge on the subject. The first specimens of the
fossil remains of South America were brought home by Dom-
bey. They consisted of a few teeth and a portion of the
under jaw of a species of Mastodon^ which Cuvier recog-
nized as identical with that whose remains have been found
in Europe, M, jingustidens. This important subject did
not escape Baron Humboldt's attention : he brought back
with him some remains of the same genus, which Cuvier
discovered to belong to two new species, besides the one
already mentioned; these he named M. Andium and M.
Humboldtii, Baron Humboldt found the remains of the
first in Peru and Columbia, of the second in Ecuador and
Bolivia, of the last in Chili. In all these countries the
existence of such huge animal bones had given rise to the
story of giants ; which is also a very ancient tradition in
Brazil, and evidently arises from the same source. Long
ago Father Casale, in his ' Corographia Brasilica,' vol. i.
p. 78, speaks of gigantic bones being found near the Rio
das Contas, in the province of Bahia; and MM. Spix
and Martins inform us that these bones belong to the
above genus. So also M. A. de St. Hilaire, in his ' Travels,'
vol. ii. p. 314, describes a molar tooth of Mastodon which
was discovered in the sertao of the River San Francisco.
But the most important discovery, and which excited the
greatest attention among naturalists, was undoubtedly that
of the remains of the monstrous and gigantic animal, to
which Cuvier has given the name of Megatherium. A
nearly perfect skeleton of this animal was brought to light
in the year 1789, very near Buenos Ayres, and was sent by
the governor, the Marquis of Loretto, to Madrid, where it
has been set up and now remains. Besides this, a second is
said to have been sent to the same city in 1795 from Lima,
388 VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF BRAZIL
together with some fragments of a third from Paraguay.
Since that time, in consequence of the representations of
Sir Woodbine Parish, the English consul-general at Buenos
Ayres, excavations have been made along the banks of the
river Salado, as also of the stream Villa Nueva, and the
lake Las Aveiras, which have furnished fragments of three
other skeletons of the same animal, and which have been
deposited in the Museum of the Geological Society in
I^ondon.' Spix and Martins were the first who gave an
account of the existence of fossil remains of Megalonyx in
the caverns near the river S. Francisco. To M. Sello are we
indebted for the discovery of a gigantic species of Arma-
dillo, extracted from the banks of the river Uruguay ; the
fossils have been sent to Berlin, and have been described by
Dalton ; but as I have not seen his account, I can give no
further information of this animal. And finally, I must not
omit the extract from a letter addressed to M. de St. Hilaire
by Senhor Damasio Larranaga, and published in the second
edition of Cuvier's * Recherches,' vol. i. p. 191, in which he
announces the discovery of several portions of Megatherium
in the republic of Uruguay; which, however, evidently
belong to a gigantic species of the Armadillo family, and,
as I suspect, to Chlamydotherium gigas.
The above is a brief account of my predecessors in this
line, so far as they have come to my knowledge in my pre-
sent retired position. It is sufficient to show that the sub-
ject was not new ; the path had already been trodden by
several respected naturalists ; and the glimmering of light
which their discoveries had scattered over this wide field,
were in a high degree calculated to wake the attention of
philosophers, and to excite the desire to see these researches
extended. It was my fortunate lot to be able to contribute
towards the accomplishment of this desire ; but I acknow-
ledge with gratitude, that if the facts described in the above
pages have at all assisted in extending the boundaries of
science, the merit thereof is due to the respected Society
whose flattering encouragement gave me energy to overcome
the difficulties of the undertaking, and whose generous as-
sistance furnished me with the means of conducting my
researches on such a scale as could alone lead to the desired
results.
POSTSCRIPT.
Since the above communication was written, I have re-
ceived a present, which, on account of its importance, de-
1 I believe this to be erroneous ; they are in the Museum of the Col-
lege of Surgeons. — Tra>"slator.
PREVIOUS TO THE LAST GEOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. 389
mands a supplementary notice. T have before mentioned
that of each of the genera Cictia, Paca and Capivar, only
a single species now exists in this district, whereas I have
found two fossil species of Cutia and Capivar, and three of
Paca ; that of each of these genera one species is of gigantic
proportions, while the remainder correspond in size to the
existing species. Again, I have there observed that of the
two lesser species of Paca\ one resembles the living animal
in its nearly smooth head, (although in the structure of its
cranium it otherwise displays sufficient specific difference,)
while the other species is distinguished by an extraordinary
development of its zygomatic arches, as likewise by great
inequalities on its cranium. I have at this moment received
the cranium of a Paca, shot near Curvello, that exhibits all
these characters of the fossil species, although a closer com-
parison convinces me also, in this instance, of their specific
distinction. I have quite satisfied myself that this develop-
ment of the zygomatic arches and unevenness of the surface
of the cranium are not the effect of age, by the examination
of a connected suite of the smooth-headed Paca from the
earliest to the most advanced age, in which all the sutures
have disappeared ; whereas the cranium here spoken of be-
longs to a young animal, in which the sutures are still di-
stinct. Instead of this, I have reason to suspect, however
little such a phsenomenon may appear to be supported by
analogy, that this striking dissimilarity in the formation of
the skull results only from a difference of sex. I rest this
supposition on two principal facts ; first, because, with this
single exception of the crania, I do not find in all the other
bones belonging to the Paca the least dissimilarity to be-
token the existence of two distinct species ; and, secondly,
because the characters by which the fossil smooth-headed
Paca is distinguished from the living, display a remarkable
parallelism with the distinctions that characterize the rough-
headed Paca of the same two periods.
Should this supposition be confirmed, then the two species
that I have described under the names of Coelogenys rugiceps
and C laticeps, must be reduced to one, which may preserve
the name laticeps, and the genus Paca will thus possess the
same proportions as the genera Cutia and Capivar.
^ Dr. Lund does not appear aware that there are now existing in South
America two species or varieties of Paca (Coelogenys), the skulls of which
differ precisely as above described. These differences were first pointed out
by Cuvier in the * Annales du Museum/ tom. x. p. 203. pi. x.
390 FLORA OF CENTRAL. NORFOLK.
Art. III.— The Flora of Central Norfolk. By Mr. R. J. Mann.
The county of Norfolk is, to the British naturalist, a field
of abundant interest, in consequence of its forming one of
the extremes of his native regions, in which the ocean marks
out a defined boundary to the productions of the land, and
changes, by its magic touch, the gaudy flower and waning
grass into the green sea- weed. The botanic wealth of the
most eastern point of England has been well displayed, in
an admirable sketch of the natural history of Yarmouth, by
the Messrs. C. and J. Paget. The present paper is an at-
tempt to supply the next link in the chain of gradation,
which terminates only at the shores of Sutherland. It em-
braces all those localities which fall within the reach of an
ordinary day's march of the working naturalist from the
vital centre of the district, the city of Norwich.
The substratum of Norfolk is identical with the great
chalk formation of Europe, and its outcross constitutes the
greater portion of the high ground of the county ; its edge
is marked by a straight line, a little inclined from the north
and south direction, and upon the central portion of this
edge is built the ancient city of Norwich. The eastern in-
clination of the cretaceous mass is covered by a series of
beds composed chiefly of sand and loose ferruginous sand-
stones, mixed with gravel containing abundance of organic
remains, whose characters distinctly register their ocean
birth. These marine sandstones, known technically as the
Norfolk crag, occupy upon the surface a broad band running
parallel to the boundary of the chalk, and not frequently
raised to more than a few feet of elevation above the level of
the sea. The space intervening between this tract and the
German Ocean is partially occupied by irregular masses of
gravel and clay, formed by the action of water upon the
older rocks of the more western counties, and swept thence
by diluvial currents to their present localities, leaving marks
of their progress at various stages of their course ; at the
same period that these waters were deluging the land, the
then surface was channeled by some disturbing force into a
series of valleys running more or less eastward, and uniting
in that direction in a common termination. The next epoch
in the history of these valleys must have presented them as
estuaries of the German Ocean, their lower level being of
necessity overflowed by its waters. In this state they appear
to have remained until about the period of the Norman Con-
quest, when, from some uncertain cause or causes, the sea
retreated to about its present bounds, and the bottoms of the
FLORA OP CENTRAL NORFOLK. 391
valleys were raised, by alternate beds of moor and silt, to
the high-water mark of the fresh streams that continue to
drain through them. There are now three rivers meandering
through the central tract of the estuaries that have preceded
them^ the lateral formations of moor and silt having been
converted into valuable marsh and pasture lands ; that to
the northward of the three is the Bure ; it is the most
irregular in its course, and is connected with several shallow
lakes that have been left where the silting process has been
checked, or the draining less perfect. The second river is
the Yare, which is rendered somewhat important by being
navigable between Norwich and the sea-port of Yarmouth.
The third river is the Waveney, which forms the natural
boundary of the contiguous counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.
At the confluence of these rivers a lake is formed, which
reaches to within half a mile of the sea, then contracts again
into a narrow stream, turns sharply to the south, and con-
tinues its course for three miles in that dii'ection, separated
from the ocean by a low tongue of sand only, which is over-
flown by the highest tides, and then suddenly empties itself
into the German Ocean, where the cliffs of Suffolk com-
mence to raise themselves above the flats of Norfolk.
The botanical stations of the county all bear a direct rela-
tion to the geological features which have been thus suc-
cinctly sketched.
In the immediate vicinity of Yarmouth the coast is a flat
plain, but more to the north the sand has accumulated under
the action of the wind and tide, and formed a line of sand-
banks which offer a natural barrier to the encroachments of
the ocean. In several positions these banks rise to a con-
siderable height, and the labours of the plough may be seen
to extend to within a quarter of a mile of the sea ; the safety
to the agricultural district, from its close neighbourhood to
these loose and mobile sands, being provided for by a series
of grasses and sedges, (the most characteristic of which are
the Carex arenaria and the Triticum junceum,) which inter-
lace their creeping roots, often extending to the distance of
many yards, and thus bind into a firm soil that which would
otherwise render useless to the cultivator the inland country
for miles.
Somewhat more removed from the coast than these regions
of sand, on the immediate banks of the lower parts of the
rivers, and around the broader waters, is an extent of marsh
ground entirely distinct from all other regions in its vegetable
productions, in consequence of its being periodically over-
flown by salt water. These are known as the Salt Marshes,
392 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK.
and are green during the summer with the wild celery, and
gay in the autumn with the marsh mallow. The banks of
the Yare, the Waveney, and the Bure, beyond the influence
of the salt tides, are composed of marshy ground, in part
putting on the appearance of loose bogs interspersed with
firm tufts composed of the roots of Carices, rushes and grasses
rising at intervals upon them. These are constantly drenched
with water, and supported upon a subsoil of silt and turf of
twenty feet in thickness. The marshes of Acley and Horn-
ing present characteristic specimens. Proceeding upwards
along the banks of the rivers, these wet bogs gradually pass
into drier and more stable meadows, in which the sedges and
rushes are almost banished by the true grasses.
Some few miles to the north of Norwich is an extent of
elevated heath and moor, in which are found the infant
sources of the Bure. This tract is considerably higher than
the level of the ancient estuaries, and in the summer as-
sumes the appearance of a dry heath, yellow in the earlier
months with the blossoms of the needle furze, but purple in
August with the beautiful Calathian violet, the brilliant field
being relieved at intervals by rusty spots of the sun dews,
and interrupted occasionally by plantations of young pines,
in which a constant war is waged between nature and man,
the former in many instances appearing to have almost re-
claimed that which had been abstracted from her domains.
Throughout the winter these regions are almost entirely in-
undated and inaccessible ; and if the adventurous botanist,
remembering the summer gambols of the Lacerta agilis, and
the treasures which he then reaped from the spot, should be
induced to visit them at that period, they will afford to him
the three species of Sphagna, and as much depth of the
water in which they grow as he may please to wade into.
The edges of the elevated grounds are still covered in
many places by the remains of woods and groves which
have served as preserves to many of the species of plants
affecting such regions.
Those districts which have fallen more immediately under
the influence of man, and are employed for agricultural pur-
poses, occupy all those portions of the chalk slopes and
rising grounds which have been reclaimed from either heaths
or woods, and of course constitute by far the larger portion
of them. In these the native plants have been driven by
the operations of husbandry into such corners as are unfitted
for their purpose ; the soil is formed by varying admixtures
of sand, clay, lime, and the oxide of iron, the sand having
been chiefly derived from the beds of crag ; the clay from
FLORA OF CKNTRAL NORFOLK. 393
the diluvium formed probably by the disintegration of the
lias series of the inland counties ; the iron from the same
diluvial beds, and the lime from the exhaustless magazine
afforded by the chalk.
It will be readily imagined, that a country presenting the
physical features that have been now described, must be rich
in botanical productions ; and that such is the case is proved
by the details of wealth contained in the following List of the
Flora of Central Norfolk :—
DICHLAMYDE.E.
RANUNCULACE^.
AcoNiTUM Napellus. Naturalized, Whitlingharn Wood.
Aquilegia vulgaris. Road-side, Porringland.
THAJuJCTRvyiJlavum. Meadows, Thorpe.
Anemone nemorosa. Woods, Thoi'pe.
Ranunculus aquatilis. Ditches, common.
hederaceus. Thorpe, common.
Lingua. Horning Marshes.
Flammula. Marshes, common.
Ficaria. Pastures, common.
sceleratus. Ditches, common.
acris. Meadows, common.
repens. Meadows, common.
hulbosiis. Pastures, common.
• ■ hirsutus. Waste ground, Norwich.
Caltha palustris. Pastures, common.
BERBERIDE^.
Berberis vulgaris. Hedges, Catton.
NYMPHiEACEiE.
Nymph^a alha. Horning, Surlingham.
NuPHAR lutea. Running streams, common.
PAPAVERACE^.
Papaver Rhoeas. Corn-fields, common.
■■ Argemone. Road- sides, common.
■ somniferum. Corn-fields, Framlingham.
Chelidonium majus. Waste places, common.
FUMARIACE7E.
Fumaria officinalis. Road-sides, common.
CoRYDALis claviculata. Woods, Thorpe.
CRUCIFER^.
Coronopus Ruellii. Road-sides, common.
Capsella Bursa- Pastoris. Waste places, common.
Teesdalia nudicaulis. Telegraph Lane, Thorpe.
Lepidium cumpestre. Road-sides, Blofield.
CocHLEARiA Armoracitt. Waste places, common.
Vol. IV.— No. 44. n. s. 3 c
394 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK.
Draba verna. Wall-tops, common.
KoNiGA maritima. Around Thorpe Rosary (naturalized.)
C ARB AMiN i: pratensis. Meadows, common.
hirsuta. Meadows, common.
amara. Meadows, Thorpe.
Arab IS hirsuta. Walls of Lakenham Church-yard.
TuRRiTis glabra. Hedges, Thorpe, Blofield.
Barbarea vulgaris. Road-sides, common.
Nasturtium officinale. Ditches, common.
terrestre. Ditches, Thorpe.
Sisymbrium officinale. Road-sides, common.
— ■ Sophia. Waste places, common.
thalianum. Road- sides, common.
Erysimum Alliaria. Road-sides, common.
cheiranthoides. Corn-fields, common.
Cheiranthus Cheiri. Wall-tops, common.
Brassica oleracea. Waste places, common.
• Rapa. Waste places, common.
Si nap IS alba. Road-sides, Trowse.
nigra. Road-sides, common.
arvensis. Road-sides, common.
Raphanus Raphanistrum. Road-sides, common.
VIOLACEJE.
Viola odorata. Hedge- banks, common.
canina. Road-sides, common.
tricolor. Road-sides, common.
DROSERACEJE.
Drosera anglica. Felthorpe bogs.
longifolia. St. Faith's Heath.
rotundifolia. St. Faith's Heath.
Parnassia palustris. Marshes, Horning.
POLYGALE^.
PoLYGALA vulgaris. Heathy grounds, common.
MALVACEiE.
Malva sylvestris. Road-sides, common.
rotundifolia. Road-sides, common.
moschata. Postwick Grove.
HYPERICINEJE.
Hypericum Judroseemum. Arminghall Wood.
. quadrangulum. Road-sides, common.
perforatum. Road-sides, common.
humifusum. Telegraph Lane, Thorpe.
montanum. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
hirsutum. Arminghall Wood.
pulchrum. Heathy grounds, common.
elodes. St. Faith's bogs.
CARYOPHYLLE^.
Sagina procumbent. Waste places round Norwich.
Holosteum umbellatum. Walls, St. Faith's Lane, Noi-wich.
i
FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK. 395
Saponaria officinalis. Road-sides, common.
DiANTHUS Armeria. Thorpe Groves.
SiLENE inflata. Road-sides, Thorpe.
noctiflora. Woods, Thorpe.
Stellaria media. Road-sides, common.
holostea. Road-sides, common.
graminea. Porrin gland Heath.
glauca. Marshes, Thorpe.
uliginosa. Marshes, near Carow Bridge, Norwich.
Arenaria trinervis. Woods, Thorpe.
serpyllifolia. Old Walls, Norwich.
tenuifolia. Corn-fields, Thorpe.
rubra. Mousehold Heath.
Agrostemma Githago. Corn-fields, common.
Lychnis Flos Cuculi. Road-sides, common.
dioica. Road- sides, common.
Cerastium vulgatum. Road-sides, common.
viscosum. Moist hedges, common.
Spergula arvensis. Telegraph Lane, Thorpe.
nodosa. Marshes, Thorpe.
LINE.E.
LiNUM catharticum. Road -sides, Porringland.
Radiola millegrana. St. Faith's bogs.
TILIACEiE.
TiLiA europcBa. Frequent about Norwich.
ACERINEiE.
Acer Fseudo-platanus. Road-sides, common.
campestre. Road-sides, common.
GERANIACE^.
Geranium pyrenaicum. Road-sides, Lakenham.
lucidum. Road-sides, Lakenham.
robertianum. Road-sides, common.
. molle. Road- sides, common.
pusillum. Waste ground, Thorpe.
dissectum. Telegraph Lane, Thorpe,
columbinum. Telegraph Lane, Thorpe.
Erodium cicutarium. Road-sides, common.
OXALIDEJE.
OxALis Acetosella. Woods, Thorpe.
PORTULACEiE.
MoNJiA fontana. Mousehold Heath.
CRASSULACE^.
TiLL^A muscosa. Porringland Heath.
Sempervivum tectorum. House-tops, occasionally.
Sedum Telephium. Woods, Thorpe.
reflexitm. Wall-tops, Thorpe.
acre. Wall-tops, Norwich.
396 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK.
SAXIFRAGES.
Saxifraga granulata. Hedge-banks, common.
tridactylites. Wall-tops, common.
Adoxa Moschatellina. Woods, Whitlingham.
SALICARES.
Peplis Portula. St. Faith's bogs.
Lythrum Salicaria. Marshes, common.
RHAMNEJE.
Rhamnus catharticus. Hedges around Norwich.
Frangula. Horning Marshes.
ILICINEiE.
Ilex AquifoUum. Woods, Thorpe.
LEGUMINOSiE.
Ulex europtBus. Heaths, common.
Genista anglica. St. Faith's Heaths.
Cytisus scoparius. Heaths, common.
Ononis arvensis. Porringland Heath.
Anthyllis vulneraria. Catton gravel-pits.
Lathyrus pratensis. Marshes, common.
palustris. Marshes, Horning.
ViciA Cracca. Hedge-banks, common.
sativa. Corn-fields, common.
sepium. Corn-fields, common.
Ervum hirsufum. Corn-fields, Thorpe.
tetraspermum. Corn-fields, Blofield.
Ornithopus perpusillus. Mousehold Heath.
M ELI LOTUS officinalis. Gravel-pits, Thorpe.
leucantha. Marshes, Thorpe.
Trifolium ornithopodioides. Mousehold Heath.
repens. Pastures, common.
subferraneum. Mousehold Heath.
■ pratense. Pastures, common.
arvense. Woods, Thorpe.
glomeratum. Mousehold Heath.
striatum. Mousehold Heath.
jiliforme. Road-sides, common.
Lotus corniculatus. Wall-tops, Thorpe.
major. Pastures, common.
Medicago /a/ca^a. Meadows, Thorpe.
lupulina. Waste grounds, common,
ROSACEiE.
Prunus iiisititia. Woods, Thorpe.
spinosa. Hedges, common.
Cerasus. Woods, Thorpe.
Spir^a Ulmaria. Meadows, common.
Geum urbanum. Road-sides, common.
rivale. Marshes, Whitlingham. ^
RuBus corylifolius. Hedges, common
fruticosus. Hedges, common
idcEus. Woods, Thorpe.
FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK. 397
Fragaria elatior. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
vesca. Hedge-banks, common.
CoMARUM palustre. Marshes, Thorpe, St. Faith's.
PoTENTiLLA ansevina. Road-sides, common.
reptans. Pastures, common.
argentea. Woods, Thorpe.
Fragariastrum. Woods, Thorpe.
ToRMENTiLLA officinalis. Heaths, common.
Agrimonia Eupatoria. Road-sides, common.
Alchemilla arvensis. Dry pastures, common.
Rosa arvensis. Hedges, common.
canina. Hedges, common.
Mespilus germanica. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
Crat^gus Oxyacantha. Hedges, common.
Pyrus aucuparia. Road-sides, common.
Mains. Road-sides, Bramerton.
ONAGRARI^.
Epilobium hirsutum. Marshes, Thorpe.
parvifiorum. Marshes, common.
montanum. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
tetragonum. St. Faith's bogs.
palustre. St. Faith's bogs.
CEnothera biennis. Waste places, Thorpe.
HALORAGEiE.
HippuRis vulgaris. Ditches, Horning, Acley.
Myriophyllum spicatum. Ditches, Thorpe.
UMBELLIFERJE.
Hydrocotyle vulgaris. Moist spots, Thorpe, St. Faitji'
Sanicula europcPa. Arminghall Wood.
CicuTA virosa. Ditches, Horning.
Petroselinum sativum. Waste ground, Thorpe.
Helosciadium nodifiorum. Ditches, common.
■ repens. Ditches, Thorpe.
■ inundatum. Horsford Heath.
tEgopodium Podagraria. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
Bvj>iivMi Jlexuosum. Woods, Thorpe.
PiMPiNELLA saxifraga. Road- sides, Thorpe.
SiuM latifolium. Ditches, Horning.
angustifolium. Marshes, Thorpe.
CEnanthe ^^wZosa. Ditches, common.
pimpinelloides. Ditches, Horning.
Phellandrium. Ditches, Thorpe.
FcENicuLUM vulgare. Waste places, Thorpe.
^THUSA Cynapium. Road-sides, common.
Angelica sylvestris. Marshes, common.
Peucedanum palustre. Marshes, Horning.
Pastinaca sativa. Waste places, Thorpe.
Heracleum Sphnndylium. Road-sides, common.
Daucus Carota. Road-sides, common.
ToRiLis Anthriscus. Road-sides, Thorpe.
infesta Road-sides, Thorpe.
■ nodosa. Road- sides, Thorpe.
ScANDix Pecfen. Corn-fields, common.
398 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK,
Anthriscus sylvestris. Road-sides, common.
vulgaris. Road-sides, common.
Ch^rophyllum temulentum. Road-sides, common.
CoNiuM maculatum. Road-sides, common.
Smyrnium Olusatrum. Waste places, Thorpe.
STELLATiE.
Galium verum. Dry banks, common.
- cruciatum. Thickets, common.
palustre. Marshes, common.
erectum. Road-sides, Thorpe.
saxatile. Heathy ground, common.
■■ ■ — Mollugo. Road-sides about Norwich.
Aparine. Road- sides, common.
Sherardia arvensis. Corn-fields, Thorpe.
AsPERULA odorata. Woods, Thorpe.
CAPRIFOLIACE^.
LoNiCERA Periclymenum. Road-sides, common.
Viburnum Opulus. River-bank, Bramerton.
Sambucus nigra. Road-sides, common.
Ehulus. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
CoRNUS sanguinea. Arminghall Wood.
Hedera Helix. Old walls, common.
LORANTHE^.
ViscuM album. Apple-trees, Porringland.
CAMPANULACE^.
Campanula Trachelium. Corn-fields, Postwick.
latifoUa. Road-sides, Porringland.
■ rotundifolia. Road-sides, common.
LOBELIACEiE.
Jasione montana. Corn-fields, Thorpe.
VALERIANE^.
Valeriana officinalis. Marshes, common.
rubra. Wall-tops, Norwich.
dioica. Marshes, Thorpe.
Fedia olitoria. Road-sides, Thorpe.
DIPSACE^.
DiPSAcus sylvestris. Road-sides, Thorpe.
ScABiosA succisa. Marshes, Horning.
Knautia arvensis. Corn-fields, common.
COMPOSITiE.
Tragopogon major. Waste places, common.
Picris hieracioides. Woods, Whitlinghara.
SoNCHus oleraceus. Road-sides, common.
■ arvensis. Marshes, common.
Prenanthes muralis. Wall-tops, Norwich.
Leontodon Taraxacum. Road-sides, common.
Apargia hispida. Wall-tops, Thorpe.
FLORx\ OF CENTRAL NORFOLK. 399
Apaugia autumnalis. Road-sides, Thorpe.
Thrincia hirta. Road-sides, Thorpe.
HiERACiuM subaudum. Woods, Thorpe.
: sylvaticum. Woods, Thorpe.
umhellatum. Hedge-bank, Plumstead road.
Pilosella. Road-sides, common.
Crepis tectorum. Road-sides, common.
HYPocHiERis radicata. Road-sides, Thorpe.
Lapsana communis. Road-sides, Thorpe.
CicHORiuM Intyhus. Road-sides, common.
Arctium Lappa. Road-sides, common.
Carduus nutans. Road-sides, common.
acanthoides. Road- side, Blofield.
marianus. Road-sides, Kirby.
Cnicus lanceolatus. Road-sides, common.
palustris. Marshes, common.
arvensis. Fields, common.
eriophorus. Waste ground, Framlingham.
pratensis. Marshes, Horning.
Centaurea nigra. Pastures, common.
' Cyanus. Corn-fields, common.
Scabiosa. Road-sides, common.
Calcitrapa. Road-sides, Thorpe.
BiDENS cernua. Marshes, common.
Eupatorium cannabinum. River-banks, common.
Tanacetum vuJgare. Road-sides, Thorpe.
Artemisia Absinthium. Waste places, Thorpe.
vulgaris. Road-sides, common.
Gnaphalium uliginosum. St. Faith's bogs.
minimum. Road-sides, Thorpe.
germanicum. Road-sides, common.
Erigeron acre. Woods, Whitlingham.
TussiLAGO Farfara. Gravel-pits, common.
Petasites vulgaris. By Cringleford Bridges.
Senecio vulgaris. Road-sides, common.
sylvaticus. Woods, Thorpe.
tenuifolius. Road-sides, Thorpe.
Jacobeea. Road-sides, common.
aquaticus. Marshes, common.
SoLiDAGO Virgaurea. Road-sides, Porringland.
PuLicARiA dysenterica. Pastures, common.
vulgaris. Clay-pit, St. Faith's.
Bellis perennis. Pastures, common.
Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum. Pastures, Porringland.
segetum. Corn-fields, Porringland.
Pyrethrum Parthenium. Road-sides, Thorpe.
inodorum. Corn-fields, common.
Matricaria Chamomilla. Waste places, common.
Anthemis arvensis. Corn-fields, common.
Cotula. Corn-fields, common.
Achillea Millefolium. Road-sides, common. ^
■— Ptarmica. Heaths, St. Faith's, Porringland.
BORAGINEJE.
Echium vulgare. Waste plclces, common.
Symphytum tuberosum. Woods, Thorpe.
400 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK.
BoRAGO officinalis. Waste places, common.
Lycopsis arvensis. Waste places, common.
Myosotis arvensis. Corn-fields, common.
-. palustris. Pastures, common.
. versicolor. Road- sides, Thorpe.
• sylvatica. Woods, Whitlingham,
. • collina. Wall-tops, Norwich.
Cynoglossum officinale. Woods, Whitlingham.
Anciiusa sempervirens. Woods, Whitlingham.
CONVOLVULACE^.
Convolvulus arvensis. Road-sides, common.
sepium. Road-sides, common.
CuscuTA Epithymum. Heaths, Household, St. Faith's.
PLANTAGINEJiE.
LiTTORELLA lacustris. Felthorpe Heath.
Plantago major. Pastures, common.
■ media. Pastures, common.
lanceolata. Pastures, common.
. Coronopus. Road-sides, common.
OLEACEiE.
LiGUSTRUM vulgare. Road-sides, common.
Fraxinus excelsior. Road-sides, common.
ERICEiE.
Erica Tetralix. Heaths, St. Faith's, Bramerton.
cinerea. Heaths, common.
Calluna vulgaris. Heaths, common.
GENTIANEiE.
Erythr^a Centaurium. Dry pastures, Thorpe.
Gentiana Pneumonanthe. St. Faith's Heath.
Amarella. St. Faith's Heath.
Menyanthes trifoliata. Marshes, Thorpe.
SOLANEiE.
Hyoscyamus niger. Waste places, Costessey.
Atropa Belladonna. Hedges near Thorpe Asylum.
Verbascum Blattaria. Road-sides, Thorpe.
pulverulentum. Road-sides, common.
Thapsus. Hedge-banks, frequent.
SoLANUM nigrum. Waste ground, common.
Dulcamara. Moist spots, common.
PRIMULACEiE.
Anagallis arvensis. Road-sides, common.
tenella. St. Faith's bogs.
Lysimachia vulgaris. Marshes, Horning.
Nummularia. Moist banks, Thorpe.
nemorum. Arminghall Wood.
HoTTONiA palustris. Ditches, Horning.
Primula vulgaris. Pastures, common.
■ veris. Pastures, Thorpe.
FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK. 401
Primula elatior. Pastures, Porringland.
Samolus Valerandi. Ditches, Acley.
LENTIBULARI^E,
PiNGUicuLA vulgaris. Horsford Heath.
SCROPHULARINE.a:,
Veronica serpyllifolia. Road sides, common.
■ scutellata. Horsford Heath.
Anagallis. Ditches, common.
Beccahunga. Ditches, common.
officinalis. Pastures, Porringland.
Chamcedrys, Hedge-banks, common.
hederifolia. Hedge-banks, common.
■ ■ agrestis. Waste ground, Catton.
polita. Corn-fields, common.
• arvensis. Corn-fields, common.
Bartsia Odontites. Corn -fields, common.
Euphrasia officinalis. Pastures, common.
Rhinanthus Crisia-galU. Marshes, common.
Melampyrum prafense. Woods, Thorpe.
Pedicularis palustris. Marshes, common.
— — — ■ sylvatica. St. Faith's bogs.
Antirrhinum majus. Wall-tops, Norwich.
Orontium. Corn-fields, Thorpe.
LiNARiA Cymhalaria. Old walls, common.
Elatine, Corn fields, Blofield.
vulgaris. Hedge-banks, common.
ScROPHULARiA aqutttica. Marshes, common.
nodosa. Woods, Thorpe.
OROBANCHE^.
Orobanche minor. Clover-fields, Thorpe.
VERBENACE^.
Verbena officinalis. Pastures, common.
LABIATiE.
Lycopus europceus. Marshes, Thorpe.
Salvia verbenaca. Road-side, Thorpe.
Mentha piperita. Marshes, Lakenham.
hirsuta. Marshes, common.
arvensis. Clay-pit, St. Faith's.
Pulegium. Clay-pit, St. Faith's.
Thymus Serpyllum. Dry pastures, common.
Origanum vulgare. Mackie's Dell, near Norwich.
Teucrium Scorodonia. Pastures, common.
Chameedrys. Wall-tops, Norwich.
AjUGA reptans. Road-side, Thorpe.
Ballota nigra. Hedge-banks, common.
Leonurus Cardiaca. Hedge-banks, Earlham.
Galeobdolon luteum. Woods, Thorpe.
Galeopsis Ladanum. Chalk-pit, Lakenham.
Tetrahit. Woods, Thorpe.
Lamium album. Road-sides, common.
Vol. IV.— No. 44, n. s. 3d
402 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK.
Lamium purpureum. Road-sides, common.
incisum. Hedge-banks, Horstead.
amplexicaule. Corn-fields, Whitlingham.
Stachys sylvatica. Woods, common.
. palustris. River-banks, common.
Nepeta cataria. Road-sides, frequent.
Glechoma hederacea. Hedge-banks, common.
Calamintha Nepeta. Road-sides, Lakenham.
. officinalis. Road-sides, Lakenham.
Clinopodium vulgare. Woods, Whitlingham.
Prunella vulgaris. Pastures, common.
Scutellaria galerimlata. Marshes, Postwick.
CUCURBITACE^.
Bryonia dioica. Hedges, frequent.
MONOCHLAMYDEiE.
THYMELE^.
Daphne Laureola. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
POLYGONE^.
Polygonum aviculare. Waste places, common.
. • Fagopyrum. Fields, Thorpe.
. Convolvulus. Corn-fields, common.
. . amphibium. Ditches, Thorpe.
Persicaria. Waste ground, common.
. ■ — lapathifolium. Waste ground, common.
Hydropiper. Marshes, common.
Rumex Hydrolapathum. River-banks, frequent.
crispus. . Road-sides, common.
acutus. Moist pastures, common.
■ pulcher. Road-sides, Thorpe.
obtusifolius. Road-sides, Thorpe.
maritimus. Marshes, Horning,
Acetosa. Pastures, common.
■ Acetosella. Pastures, common.
CHENOPODEJE.
Chenopodium olidum. St. Magdalen's Gates, Norwich.
. Bonus Henricus. Waste places, common.
rubrum. Waste ground, common.
murale. Waste ground, Norwich.
album. Waste ground, common.
Atriplex patula. Waste ground, common.
angustifolia. Road-sides, common.
SCLERANTHE^.
Scleranthus anuus. Wall-tops, common.
URTICE^.
Urtica dioica. Waste ground, common.
I urens. Waste ground, common.
FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK. 403
HuMULUS Lupulus. Hedges, common.
Parietaria officinalis. Old walls, common.
RESEDACEJE.
Reseda Luteola. Waste ground, common.
lutea. Road- sides, frequent.
EUPHORBIACE-a:.
Euphorbia helioscopia. Waste ground, common.
exigua. Corn-fields, Blofield.
Peplus. Waste ground, common.
— — — ■■ amygdaloides. Woods, Thorpe.
Mercurialis perennis. Road-sides, common.
annua. Road-sides, frequent.
Buxus sempervirens. Woods, Thorpe.
CERATOPHYLLE^.
Ceratophyllum demersum,. Ditches, Thorpe.
ULMACEiE.
Ulmus campestris. Hedges, common.
ACHLAMYDE^.
AMENTACEJE.
Betula alba. Road-sides, common.
Carpinus Betulus. Woods, Thorpe.
Alnus glutinosa. River-banks, common.
Salix repens. St. Faith's Heath.
fragilis. Thorpe, common.
alba. Road-sides, common.
viminalis. Marshes, common.
PopuLus alba. Woods, common.
tremula. Woods, Thorpe.
nigra. River-banks, common.
CUPULIFER^.
Fagus syhatica. Woods, common.
QuERCus Robur, Road-sides, common.
CoRYLUs Avellana. Road-sides, common.
MYRICE^.
Myrica Gale. Horning Marshes.
CALLITRICHINE-ffi.
Callitrichb vema. Ditches, common.
MONOCOTYLEDONES.
AROIDEJE.
Arum maculatum. Hedge-banks, common^
404 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK
TYPHACEiE.
Typha latifolia. Running streams, frequent.
. angustifolia. Marshes, Horning.
Sparganium ramosum. Ditches, Horning.
. simplex. Ditches, Thorpe.
FLUVIALES.
PoTAMOGETON luceus. Running streams, frequent.
. natans. Ditches, Horning.
perfoliatus. Rivulet, Costessey.
crispus. Ditches, Horning.
densus. Ditches, Thorpe.
— —— — pectimtus. Ditches, Horning.
PISTIACEiE.
Lemna polyrrhiza. Ditches, Thorpe.
■ trisulca. Ditches. Thorpe.
■ minor. Ditches, Thorpe.
gibba. Ditches, Thorpe.
JUNCAGINE^*
Triglocuin palustre. Ditches, Thorpe.
ALISMACEJE.
Alisma Plantago. Ditches, common.
ranunculoides. St. Faith's bogs.
Sagittaria sagittifolia. Ditches, common.
HYDROCHARIDE^. "
Hydrocharis Morsus rancB. Ditches, common^
Stratiotes aloides. Ditches, Horning.
IRIDEJE.
Ittis Pseud-acorus, Ditches, common.
ORCHIDEiE.
Orchis latifolia. Marshes, Horning.
MoriQ. Porringland Heath.
maculata. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham,
pyramidalis. Bixley church-yard.
mascula. Woods, Swainsthorpe,
Ophrys apifera. Tuck's Wood, Lakenham.
Habenaria bifolia. St. Faith's Heath.
Epipactis palustris, Felthorpe bogs.
LiSTERA ovata. Woods, Whitlingham.
ASPHODELE^.
CoNVALLARiA mujalis. Woods, Thorpe.
Ruscus aculeafus. Woods, Thorpe.
Allium vineale. Waste ground, Lakenham.
ursinum, Arminghall Wood.
DIOSCORE^,
Tamus communis. Hedges, common.
FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK. 405
BUTOME^.
BuTOMus umbellaius. Ditches, common.
JUNCE^.
JuNcus obtusiflorus. Marshes, frequent.
' acutiflorus. Marshes, frequent.
lampocarpus. Marshes, frequent.
• glaucus. Marshes, common.
effusus. Marshes, common.
conglomeratus. Felthorpe bogs.
bufonius. Marshes, Thorpe.
uliginosm. St. Faith's bogs.
squarrosus. St. Faith's bogs.
LuzuLA sylvatica. Woods, Thorpe.
campestris. Woods, Thorpe.
CYPERACEJE.
Cladium Mariscus. Marshes, Horning.
ScHOENUS nigricans. Marshes, Horning.
SciRPus lacustris. Ditches, Horning, SurHnghara.
Blysmus compressus. Marshes, Lakenham.
Eleocharis palustris. Ditches, common.
ccEspitosa. Marshes, Thorpe.
Eriophorum angustifolium. Marshes, Postwick.
Carex intermedia. Marshes, common.
muricaia. Marshes, common.
vulpina. Road-side, Bixley..
paniculata. Marshes, common.
' ovalis. Moist ground, Bixley.
strigosa. Arminghall Wood.
sylvatica. Woods, common.
PseudO'Cyperus. Marshes, Thorpe, Horning.
flava. Marshes, common.
binervis. St. Faith's Heath.
precox. Pastures, Thorpe.
pilulifera. Mousehold Heath.
panicea. Marshes, common.
recurva. Marshes, common.
• ccBspitosa. Marshes, common.
stricta. Marshes, Postwick.
acuta. Marshes, common.
paludosa. Marshes, I^akenham.
riparia. Marshes, common.
— — ~ ampuUacea. Marshes, common.
hirta. Marshes, Postwick.
GRAMINE^.
Anthoxanthum odoratum. Pastures, common.
Nardus stricta. St. Faith's Heath.
Alopecurus pratensis. Pastures, common.
agrestis. Road-sides, common.
geniculatus. Ditches, common.
Phalaris canariensis. Naturalized in field borders.
arundinacea. River-sides, common.
Phleum pratense. Pastures, common.
406 FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK.
Milium effusum. Woods, Thorpe.
Agrostis canina. Road-sides, frequent.
Spica venii. Corn-fields, Thorpe.
vulgaris. Hedge-banks, common.
alba. Hedge-banks, common.
Catabrosa aquatica. River-banks, common.
AiRA crisfata. Mousehold Heath.
ceespitosa. Felthorpe bogs.
caryophyllea. Pastures, occasionally.
prcecox. Mousehold Heath.
Melica uniflora. Woods, common.
ccerulea. St. Faith's Heath.
HoLCUs mollis. Pastures, common.
lanatus. Pastures, common.
Arrhenatherium avenaceum. Hedge-banks, common.
PoA aquatica. River-sides, common.
jluitans. Ditches, common.
rigida. Wall-tops, common.
compressa. Old walls, Norwich.
trivialis. Road-sides, common.
■ pratensis. Pastures, common.
annua. Pastures, common.
Triodia decumhens. St. Faith's Heath.
Briza media. Pastures, common.
Dactylis glomerata. Pastures, common.
Cynosurus crisfatus. Pastures, common.
Festuca ovina. Hedge-banks, Thorpe.
duriuscula. Hedge-banks, common.
bromoides. Road-side, Thorpe.
■ Myurus. Road-side, Thorpe.
loliacea. Meadows, Thorpe.
pratensis. Meadows, common.
gigantea. Marshes, Thorpe.
Bromus sterilis. Road-sides, common.
mollis. Road-sides, common.
AvT^NAjlavescens. Road-sides, common.
Arundo Phragmites. River-banks, common.
HoRDEUM murinum. Waste ground, common.
Triticum repens. Waste ground, common.
Brachypodium sylvaticum. Hedge-banks, common.
LoLiUM perenne. Pastures, common.
FILICES.
Polypodium vulgare. Hedge-banks, common.
AspiDiUM aculeatum. Hedge-banks, occasionally.
I Filix mas. Earlham Grove.
■ spinulosum. Woods, Thorpe.
AsPLENiUM Adiantum nigrum. Earlham Grove.
ScoLOPENDRiUM vulgare. Earlham Grove.
Pteris aquilina. Heaths, common.
Blechnum boreale. Heaths, Bramerton, Mousehold.
OsMUNDA regalis. Marshes, Horning.
Ophioglossum vulgatum. Woods, Whitlingham.
LYCOPODIACE^.
Lycopodium inundatum. St. Faith's bogs.
FLORA OF CENTRAL NORFOLK. 40?
EQUISETACE^.
Equisetum arvense. Road-sides, common.
' limosum. Marshes, common.
■ palustre. Marshes, common.
sylvaticum. Pastures, Thorpe.
MUSCI.
Phascum suhulatum. Moist banks, Thorpe.
Sphagnum acuiifoUum. St. Faith's bogs.
«■ '■ ohtusi folium. St. Faith's bogs.
Bartramia pomiformis. Moist banks, Thorpe.
Gymnostomum ovatum. Road-sides, Thorpe.
Wei SSI A controversa. Hedge-banks, Thorpe.
Grimmia pulvinata. Wall-tops, common.
DicRANUM varium. Chalk-pits, Thorpe.
' heteromallum. Hedge-banks, Thorpe.
'■ — bryoides. Hedge-bank, Telegraph Lane.
Tortula fallaoe. Chalk-pits, Thorpe.
rigida. Road-sides, Postwick.
ruralis. House-tops, occasionally.
subulata. Hedge-banks, common.
muralis. Wall-tops, common.
PoLYTRicHUM commuue. Banks, Telegraph Lane.
■ piliferum. Mousehold Heath.
■ undulatum. Woods, Thorpe.
aloides. Hedge-banks, Thorpe.
^ nanum. Banks, Telegraph Lane.
Orthotrichum striatum. Bark of trees, common.
diaphanum. Old trees, Thorpe.
■ affine. Old trees, Thorpe.
Bryum androgynum. Woods, Thorpe.
ccsspititium. Walls and banks, common.
capillare. Hedge-banks, common.
ligulatum. Woods, Whitlingham.
palustre. Felthorpe bogs.
ventricosum. Felthorpe bogs.
FuNARiA hygrometrica. Chalk-pits, common.
HYPNUM_^s/?Zewc?ews. St. Faith's bogs.
■ purum. St. Faith's bogs.
cupressiforme. St. Faith's bogs.
rutabulum. Hedge banks, common.
prcElongum. Woods, Thorpe.
sericeum. Hedge-banks, Thorpe.
plumosum. Hedge-banks, Thorpe.
' serpens. Woods, Whitlingham.
cuspidatum. Marshes, Thorpe.
cordifolium. St. Faith's bogs.
March, 1840. R. J. M.
408
REVIEWS.
Art. IV. — A Report on the Progress of Vegetable Physiology
during the year 1837. By F. J. F. Meyen, M.D., Professor
of Botany in the University of Berlin. Translated from the
German by William Francis, Associate of the Linnaean
Society. R. and J. E. Taylor.
Our continental scientific brethren far exceed our own
countrymen in the modes they adopt of making known the
results of their researches to the world. Independently of a
numerous and well-arranged series of journals^ under the va-
rious titles of Journaux and Annales in France, and Annalen,
Archiv, Repertoria, &c. in Germany, we see, emanating from
the press of these respective countries, a series of scientific
annuals in the shape of reports on the progress of science,
edited by some scientific man, whose name in general is alone
a sufficient guarantee for their accuracy. Even Sweden,
under the auspices of Berzelius, is not only not behind-hand,
but may be said to have set this excellent example; for
eighteen years has the Jahres-bericht des Physischer Wissen-
schaften regularly appeared at Stockholm; and every Euro-
pean chemist and philosopher has for as many years hailed
its appearance as a most valuable source of information, em-
bodying, in a volume of some 400 pages, an abstract of all
the researches made in the different departments of experi-
mental science during the preceding twelve months. In like
manner various annual reports or Jahrbuchs of Pharmacy,
Medicine, Botany, &c. regularly appear in different parts of
Germany, and among them the Annual Report on the Pro-
gress of Vegetable Physiology, by Prof. Meyen, holds a high
and distinguished place. The naturalist, to whom, from ig-
norance of the language in which it is written, this valuable
Report must have remained a sealed book, cannot fail to re-
ceive with pleasure this excellent translation from the pen of
Mr. Francis. Few men are so well qualified to offer a trans-
lation of Prof. Meyen's Report to the public as Mr. Francis ;
for in addition to his familiarity with the German language,
he possesses no mean acquaintance with the sciences to
which the report is itself devoted, and he therefore must be
distinguished from the great mass of translators, as feeling
and understanding that which he has to clothe in an English
garb. Prof. Meyen commences with a remark on the neces-
sity of drawing a distinction between mere descriptive Botany
and Phytology, or Vegetable Physiology, a distinction analo-
gous to that which exists between Zoology and Comparative
Anatomy.
PROGRESS OF VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 409
*' The study of Vegetable Physiology advances with rapid steps, the
small number of its labourers annually increases, each year adds to the
importance of its results ; and we already look forward to the time when a
decided separation of vegetable physiology from descriptive botany must
take place, for it appears that these two sciences cannot simultaneously
be pursued by one and the same botanist to such an extent as the present
time demands. The number of anatomico-physiological publications of
the past year is extremely great ; and it is morpholog)'^ especially which
has engaged during that period the largv?st share of attention ; at present
a contest awaits it similar to that which previously vegetable anatomy had
to undergo, where not a single observation was admitted without opposi-
tion. So also morphology must not be the work of speculation, but
should be founded wholly and solely on the observation of nature ; studied
in this way, it will become a doctrine easy to comprehend, which will en-
large to a great extent our knowledge of the nature of plants.
" From the active interest which has been taken in vegetable physiology,
and from the immense increase of materials, this report becomes from year
to year a more arduous undertaking ; as, however, it is of some utility for
the diffusion of the science, the reader will kindly overlook those faults
with which such a thankless task must always be accompanied. The in-
terest evinced with regard to these reports both in England and in France
by translations, as well as by the kind transmission of some memoirs,
which otherwise would not have come so early under our view, convinces
us that the naturalists of those countries will feel a greater desire to pos-
sess a more general knowledge of our very numerous German labours in
this branch of science, than heretofore."
The first topic or which Prof. Meyen dilates is the series
of extraordinary speculations of Von Martins, on the souls
or spiritual life of plants. Here we have a specimen of that
deep and alluring mysticism which our German neighbours
are occasionally found mingling with rigid and demon-
strative science. Witness the published opinions of Oken,
Fries, Grots, Wagner, &c., or of Goldbeck, in his work on
'' The meaning of 0, or the first dawn of Light in the
horizon of Truth." But these speculations, however curious,
have perhaps too little practical interest for English readers
in general.
The Professor next passes in review the researches of
Ohlert, on the naked spongioles terminating the fibrillae of
roots ; the researches of Dutrochet on Endosmose, and on
the circulation in Chara and Nitella ; and those of that very
talented and excellent phytologist. Prof. Morren, of Liege,
on the circulation of the sap in exogens.
Dr. Schleiden's observations on the growth of plants in
water saturated with carbonic acid, are next discussed;
these deserve peculiar attention, as they may perchance throw
some light on the supposed paradox of seeds germinating
in mere inorganic powders moistened with water.
The peculiarities of the vessels carrying milky sap, as in
Ficus, Eiipho7'hia, &c., are next discussed; and the micro-
scopic investigator will read a lesson of caution, froiri the
Vol. IV.— No. 44. n. s. 3 k
410 MEYKN*S REPORT FOR 1837 OX THE
error into which M. Mandl fell, in mistaking the minute
spiculae present in such sap for animalcules.
The section of the report devoted to Vegetable Anatomy
is extremely ample, and contains a most valuable amount of
information. One or two extracts from the most novel por-
tions will at once afford a specimen of the lucid manner in
which this subject is treated, and make known some of the
most interesting discoveries to our readers.
" M. Mohl has published a memoir on the structure of the porous ves-
sels of dicotyledons, and I have also treated of this subject in my fifth
chapter, but I have called these porous vessels dotted spiral tubes.
" M. Mohl adopts two varieties of dotted spiral tubes ; in the one the
w^alls are lined equally on both sides with dots or pores, according to
M. Mohl's statement ; the oak, ald^r, &c., offer examples ; while in the
other variety the tubes exhibit a totally different structure at various parts,
as in the lime, the Italian poplar, and in many other woods. In the lime,
the walls of these ducts, which abut on the ligneous cells, have all the ap-
pearance of spiral tubes capable of unrolling ; while the other walls, by
means of which these vessels cohere among themselves, exhibit the series
of dots which are always situated between two convolutions of spiral fibre.
It is evident, therefore, from these observations, says M. Mohl, that the
dotted spiral ducts belong to the system of spiral tubes and the most
essential part of their formation consists in this : — that between the coils
of the spiral fibre there is a dilated membrane, on which, between every
two fibres, a series of dots is situated. According to my view, all the
coils of spiral fibres are clothed with a fine membrane, and the coils of
fibre take some part in the formation of the dots by reciprocal cohesion.
In proof that the dotted spiral tubes belong to the system of true spiral
tubes, I have mentioned a case in the stem of a gourd, where at times the
large spiral tubes are not metamorphosed into dotted tubes, which in this
plant is otherwise very frequently the case.
" M. Mohl does not consider it as improbable that the thickening of
the membrane of spiral vessels may be effected by the deposition of new
layers upon their inner surface, exactly as with the thickening of cellular
membrane ; and I have actually observed this in several cases, representa-
tions of which are given in my Vegetable Physiology, PI. III. figs. 15, 16.
" M. Mohl and I also agree in the explanation of the structure of the
dots, namely, that they are formed precisely in the same way as the large
dots of coniferous and cycadeous wood ; this indeed could not but be
expected with the use of such perfect instruments ; for most of the incor-
rect observations of former times can only be ascribed to the defective
microscopes of that period.
" M. Mohl compares the development of the porous vessels with that
of cells, as series of thin-sided cell-like cavities constitute their base, in
which the spiral fibres are then formed. M. de Mirbel had already started
a similar notion, that vessels are formed from cells, and the observation of
the porous tubes in the earliest stages of their development is said to
prove this. About this time the individual cells are frequently found per-
fectly closed, and the thin membranous diagonal partitions subsequently
disappear, while they remain in many cases during the whole lifetime of
the plant, but take a structure quite different from that of the lateral par-
titions, which has already been demonstrated in various plants. I am
well acquainted with the cases which might lead observers to the above
views, but I also know of numerous cases in which the very opposite may
be observed, where both the simple as well as the metamorphosed con-
PROGRESS OF VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 411
tinuous spiral tubes separate in the course of development more or less
completely by constriction, and form articulations arranged in series.
" The cross partitions of the single articulations of the metamorphosed
spiral tubes are either broken through by a very large aperture or by a
number of fissures and longitudinal pores : nay, even the oblique partitions
of the large dotted tubes in the wood of some species of Ephedra are
pierced, and that by the large round holes, wrhich generally occur in them
arranged in two parallel rows. M. Mohl observes that phytotomists have
considered these horizontal sides as lateral sides of the tubes, which was
also probably owing to bad instruments, for the inclination of these hori-
zontal walls to the lateral is so exceedingly small, that they may even be
regarded as inclined terminal surfaces of the prosenchymatous cells, with
which the superposed cells stand in connexion ; I at least have declared
in favour of this latter opinion. The disappearance of the horizontal walls
in the dotted spiral tubes is, as M. Mohl thinks, to be compared to the
formation of the vessels of the latex, which also are said to originate from
cells standing above one another, as M. Unger (see p. 30) has tried to
render probable by a drawing. The most varied views exist however on
this subject, and are as diametrically opposed to one another as those on
the metamorphosis of the spiral tubes. According to M. Schultz, con-
strictions and the formation of articulations of the proper vessels originate
with the advancing age of the plant ; in the young state these vessels were
still unarticulated. According to my observations, the proper vessels are
neither in their youth nor old age provided with cross partitions, but ex-
hibit in the latter state some constrictions which are independent of exter-
nal circumstances. According to M. Mohl, the continuous vessels of the la-
tex originate from cells, whose cross partitions disappear ; to which, in con-
sequence of numerous researches on this subject, I am decidedly opposed.
" The distinction between dotted and reticulated spiral tubes consists,
according to M. Mohl, in this : — that in the latter the organic matter used
for the further development of the vessels does not deposit itself in the form
of a membrane between the coils of the spiral fibre, but goes to increase
the spiral fibre itself, both with respect to its thickness as well as to its
breadth. In the dotted (porous) spiral ducts of dicotyledons, on the con-
trary, this substance is deposited in the form of a membrane between the
coils of the spiral fibre on the original membrane of the vessel.
" Neither can I concur in these statements : the thickening of the walls of
both those stages of metamorphosis of the spiral tubes takes place in quite
a similar manner ; the principal reason for the change into reticulated and
into dotted spiral tubes is to be found only in the arrangement of the indi-
vidual coils of the spiral fibre. If the coils are widely apart, they may fall
merely into annular tubes, or be metamorphosed into reticulated spiral
tubes ; on the contrary, if the coils are close together, only striped and
dotted spiral tubes, and not reticulated, can originate. This is very easily
confirmed in stems of Cacti, in the inflorescence of Musa, &c."
The beautiful observations of Schwann^ on the presence of
a fungus, Saccharomyces, in fluids undergoing the vinous
fermentation, are too important to be passed over without
notice, even in a brief review : —
" He saw in the beer-yeast most globules cohering in series ; they were
partly round, but for the most part oval granules of a yellowish-white
colour (they are perfectly colourless in achromatic instruments. — Rep.),
which partly occur singly, but generally in series of 2 — 8 or more. Usu-
ally one or more distinct series branch off" obliquely on such a series. In
short, the whole is an articulated and ramified plant. M. Schwann ob-
412 A REPORT ON THE
served that the new articulations grew forth at the ends of the terminal
articulations, as the articulations to form new branches were emitted
laterally. During the fermentation of the expressed juice of the grape
similar plants were observed, which presented but a small diiference from
those of the beer-yeast, only that such long threads as are perceptible in
the latter were not noticed in the vinous fermentation. In the recently
expressed juice nothing of these plants is perceptible ; at 20° they may be
observed in thirty-six hours, and M. Schwann could observe the increase
of their volume under the microscope in the interval of from half an hour
to an entire hour ; they are here more globular, and generally only two
are adherent together.
" I have also been able to observe the growth of new articulations from
the ends of older ones in plants from beer-yeast, and also in vinous
and apple ferments. The process is very interesting, and may be followed
completely ; the individual articulations subsequently separate and again
grow on under favourable circumstances. Each articulation of this plant
is a distinct independent plant, which immediately continues to grow
when disturbed in its adherence ; or each articulation must be regarded as
a spore of the plant. If the single articulations, in which state the plants
in the thick beer-yeast are generally found, are mixed in the mash, they
continue to grow, and in thinner fluids the plants become very large ;
their branches extend radiately in all directions. I boiled the plants from
beer-yeast for ten minutes, and yet I observed their further development
when again brought under the microscope j and M. Cogniard-Latour ex-
posed them to various degrees of cold ; but even after the action of a cold
90° cent, they still retained the property of decomposing sugar.
" Similar plants occur in cider ferment ; they are articulated and rami-
fied in the same way as in the beer-yeast, but their joints are mostly three
times as broad as long, and I also observed on them an increase by mere
separation, although rarely.
" M. Schwann demonstrates the connexion between the fungus de-
scribed and vinous fermentation : however it is probably yet too soon
to explain the phsenomena of fermentation from their development ; first,
because the formation of the fungus is carried on much earlier than the
development of carbonic acid in the fermenting fluid, and then there are
several other plants which are developed more or less at the same time
with them in the fermenting fluid, several of which, in connexion with
the former, are described under the untenable genus Mycoderma, Persoon
and Desmazieres ; nay, if the supposed species of Mycoderma had not been
figured by Desmazieres, we certainly should never have had a clear notion
of them. Desmazieres described a Mycoderma vim, glutinis farinulce, malti-
juniperi, malti-cerevisice , and cerevisicp ; buthere two entirely distinct things
are constantly united which do not at all belong to one another ; namely,
the small articulated fungus previously mentioned, which we call Saccharo-
myces after M. Schwann's proposal, and form at present the species Sac-
charomyces vini, cerevisicB and pomorum, occurring in all fermenting sub-
stances, together with a larger confervoid one, the formation of which is
also in many respects highly remarkable. To this place belongs the con-
fervoid fungus which Amici observed in the sap of the weeping vine, the
growth of which also takes place very rapidly, so that the elongation can
be observed in a few minutes. This confervoid fungus is more or less
shortly articulated in various fermenting substances, frequently unarticu-
lated and unramified for some length, and then the articulations form at the
branches, frequently over the whole thread at more or less regular di-
stances, and then again, especially towards the end of the branch, the arti-
culations swell to a globular form, subsequently disunite, and again de-
velope to new plants ; yet rarely will two fluids be found in which these
PROGRESS OF VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 413
plants are quite similarly circumstanced. In the expressed juice of a
Borsdorfer apple, a fungus of this kind, of great beauty, was formed toge-
ther with the Saccharomyces ; several large, almost globular flocks, fre-
quently of the size of a pea, were present in the fluid, which were sepa-
rated from one another, and always consisted of a very large, or rather in-
numerable coils, of such single confervoid fungi, at the basis probably
adherent. I observed this very interesting form for many weeks, and
placed a single flock in a watch-glass with pure water, and so that the
branches came to lie close at the surface ; to prevent the evaporation of
the water the whole was covered with a plate of glass. In the lapse of
from eight to ten days new radiate bundles were evident, and among these
might be observed several which proceeded from the globular separated
articulations of the original confervoid fungus, while others had developed
fruit and represented nothing else than Mucor Mucedo when growing in
water."
The report closes with an account of the Lectures of Von
Martins on Morphology, the fairy-like, although most im-
portant, division of phytology, in which that philosopher
luxuriates ; and it is treated with a master's hand.
We must here close our review of Meyen's Report. To
have occupied a smaller space in the consideration of a work
of such value, would have been less than justice, whilst our
limits prevent its occupying more. We cannot, however,
take leave of this production without strongly recommend-
ing it to our readers, trusting that it will meet with sufficient
patronage to ensure the continued appearance of subsequent
Annual Reports in an English dress ^ E. B.
A History of the Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the London Clay. By
James Scott Bowerbank, F.G.S. Van Voorst, London ; 1840.
Seldom has a book made its appearance in the scientiiSc
world so completely combining the attractions of beautiful
ilhistrations with carefully accurate technical descriptions,
as Mr. Bowerbank's Essay on the Fossil Fruits of Bri-
tain. The author has characterized one hundred and six
species, comprising twelve genera, being a greater number
than have been noticed by the whole of the previous writers
on the subjects. An attentive examination of the different
forms will well repay the geologist or botanist for the trouble 5
he will find some of them — for instance, Mimosites, AHpa^
dites, and Leguminosites, closely allied to existing genera ;
while others are anomalous in their structure, and belong to
types totally extinct. Fahoidea, although possessing the
form common to many true leguminous seeds, presents us
with characters wholly dissimilar to those of any existing
^ As it is intended to continue these Reports in the new volume of our
Magazine, we may suggest to such of our subscribers as may approve it,
to bind up the Report for 1837" along with the present volume.
414 BOWERBANK. — FOSSIL. FRUITS AND SEEDS.
legume that has yet been discovered. In the whole of these
curious extinct legumes there exists a singular funiculus,
passing for a considerable space beneath the testa before it
emerges from the seed. The genus Hightea again presents
us with a series of highly interesting fruits, resembling in
a few characters someof the Malvacece^hwtda^^vmgivom them
in so many important respects, that it is a task of great dif-
ficulty to assign them their true place with anything ap-
proaching to certainty.
Mr. Bowerbank has done all that could be done by micro-
scopic investigations, minutely and elaborately recorded, to
elucidate the structure of these curious members of an ex-
tinct Flora. We particularly refer the reader to the seventh
plate, and to the descriptions, from pages 25 to 31. A
few true melons are given under the name Cucumites, and
the entire structvire of these fruits is described, even to the
fine membranous arillus which surrounds the seeds. Of
true Leguminosce eighteen species are described, and the
situation and form of every characteristic part of the seed
are detailed and figured with wonderful precision : on one
specimen (see p. 134) Mr. Bowerbank has even detected the
attack of some pisivorous beetle, probably a Bymchus. The
plates are beautifully executed by Mr. J. de C. Sowerby : in
the one re-published in the " Illustrations of the Magazine of
Natural History," are represented some most interesting
Proteaceous cones, closely resembling those of the existing
genus Petrophila, a native- of New Holland.
There is one point of view in which we must hail Mr.
Bowerbank's work as one of great importance, we allude to
the light which it throws on the nature of the climate of this
portion of the globe at the period of the deposit of the Lon -
don clay : the general character of the fruits is tropical, and
hence we are led to infer that our island, — if island it then
was, — must at the period of their ripening have enjoyed the
influence of a vertical sun.
The author has spared neither labour nor expense in
getting up the work, and we hope that sufficient encourage-
ment may be given him by the purchase of this first number
to induce the speedy publication of the remainder in a style
equally beautiful and complete.
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.
NEW METHOD OF DRYING SPECIMENS OF PLANTS.
About five years since I accidentally discovered the follow-
ing method of drying specimens of plants ; and not having
seen it mentioned in any work, and also being able to pro-
NEW METHOD OF DRYING SPECIMENS OF PLANTS. 415
cure finer specimens by this method than by any other with
which I am acquainted, I feel desirous of making it public
for the benefit of otiier botanists. The only apparatus neces-
sary is half a ream, or a ream of brown paper, and a quire
of double-crown cap paper. I have found that size com-
monly called "royal," to be the most useful size for the
brown paper ; it should be tolerably smooth, and that of the
weight of about fifty-five pounds per ream will be the best
thickness. The cap paper should be rather porous in its
texture, and not too thick. It may be cut into half-sheets,
and each of these may be folded. The plan of proceeding will
then be this : — First, lay down upon a board or table a quire
of the brown paper ; lay upon it one of the folded half-sheets
of cap paper, between which the plant is to be laid out
in the usual way ; then place over it half a quire of the
brown paper, and then another half- bheet of cap paper, with
a plant in it, then another half^ quire of brown, and so on till
all the specimens are laid in. (Unless the specimens are
very large, several might be laid between each half-quire.)
Finally, place the remainder of the brown paper on the top
of the stack. Should the number of specimens requiring to
be dried at one time be very great, it may perhaps be suf-
ficient to lay a quarter of a quire between the specimens;
but I should give the preference to half a quire. The time
which specimens will require to dry on this plan will of course
vary according to the nature of the plants, and the dryness of
the weather ; but in general a week will be sufficient in tolera-
bly fine weather. The great advantage in this plan appears to
me to be this : — the brown paper being very flexible in every
direction, exerts an equal pressure on every part of the plant
to be pressed, while in the common way of drying plants
(a board being used to give the principal pressure), consider-
able force is exerted on the prominent and more elevated
parts of a specimen, such as the stem, &c., while the leaves
and thinner parts frequently shrivel in many plants, the thick-
ness of the stem, &c. preventing an adequate pressure from
being applied to them. This I have frequently found to be
the case in plants with a woody stem, as Bidens tripartita,
Senecio Jacohcea, and aquaticus, Pteris aquilma, Fmpato^
rium cannabinum, &c. &c. By the above method these dif-
ficulties are completely obviated.
Your obedient Servant, W. N.
Note on Mr. Blyth's Paper, p. 370 of this Number.
It is probable that the Brooksian Gnoo will prove to be the Wadau of
Capt. Lyon C Travels in North Africa/ pp. 70, 271), who mentions a chain
of mountains to the south of Fezzan of that name, " on account of the im-
mense number of Buffaloes to be found there, and which are of three spe-
416 NOTE ON MR. BLYTH's PAPER.
cies ; viz. the Wadau, an animal of the size of an A.ss, having very large
(or, as is elsewhere stated, very long, heavy) horns, and large bunches of
hair hanging from each shoulder, to the length of 18 in. or 2 ft. ; they
have very large heads, and are very fierce. The Bogua-el-Wecih, which is
a kind of Buffalo, slow in its motion, having very large horns, and being of
the size of an ordinary Cow ; and the White Buffalo, of a lighter and more
active make, very shy and swift, and not easily procured. The calving
time of these animals is in April and May."
It is scarcely necessary to observe that the word Buffalo is most vaguely
applied by many persons to any animal in some degree approaching to an
Ox in form, but which is different from an Ox ; thus, in America, the Bi-
son of that country is so termed, and to make the matter worse, as the
animal inhabits the same districts as the so-called Indian, a paragraph
lately went the round of the newspapers of somebody in this country pos-
sessing several " Indian Buffaloes" in his park, whereas American Bisons
were intended ; and the large or Brahminy breed of Zebras is likewise com-
monly so called by English graziers. Moreover, Capt. Lyon notices (at
p. 44.) that all the grazing animals of Barbary " have the power of re-
maining a great length of time without drinking," as indeed is the case
with the upland-feeding sheep of this country. " Antelopes and Buffaloes,"
he adds, *' I should conceive in some cases never touch water, none being
found on the surface of the desert, and they are unable to obtain that which
is in the wells," to which the Carwivora constantly resort. Hence it is ob-
vious that the semi-aquatic beasts, correctly termed Buffaloes, cannot be
alluded to ; and with respect to those really intended, it may be remarked
that unless they feed on very succulent herbage, itjs impossible that they
should remain long without drinking : witness the dreaded TacJc-bokken,
or migrations of the spring-bok (Gazella euchore) in South Africa, when
the brackish pools to which they ordinarily resort are dried up ; or
the narration of J. Wilkinson, Esq. (' Journ. Geog. Soc.,' II. 49-), of a
troop of common Gazelles (G. dorcas) passing through his encampment
at Guttar, in the eastern Egyptian desert, which was their only route to
the spring, and returning the same way. Even the Camel, if I may con-
tinue the digression, notwithstanding its peculiar organization and express
training for this very object, cannot, at the utmost, endure more than five
days total abstinence from water (vide Burnes' ' Travels in Bokhara,' II.
18, 179; and ' Edin. New Phil. Journ.,' 1832, 192.) ; unless, indeed, it
meet with a supply of succulent herbage, which, if in sufficient quantity,
precludes all necessity for drinking (vide Wellsted's 'Travels in Arabia,* I.
298; Russell's 'Nat. Hist. Aleppo,' 56, &c.). Thus it is that the con-
flicting statements of various trustworthy authorities may be reconciled
without resorting to the scepticism of Burckhardt (vide ' Biography,' of
that estimable traveller, prefixed to ' Travels in Nubia,' p. Ixxiii.) ; and it
is worthy of being noticed, that Buffon mentions four days as an extraor-
dinary period for a Camel to remain without drinking.
To return, however, to the " Buffaloes" of Capt. Lyon. As it is clear
that these are not Buffaloes, it remains to observe that the third species is
obviously the White Oryx, as noticed by Col. H. Smith ; the second is as
plainly either the common North African Bubalio, or, more probably, an
allied species with which I am acquainted, as yet undescribed ; and the
first is also undescribed, or at most but indicated, probably as the Brook-
sian Gnoo of Col. H. Smith, to which genus it would certainly seem to
belong, and also as the Pegasus of Pliny, or " winged horse of Ethiopia,
armed with horns," the Pagasse, Pacasse, Empacasse, &c., of various wri-
ters of the last and preceding centuries, and the Bos ? pegasus, of Col. Ha-
milton Smith ; its " large bunches of hair hanging from each shoulder, to
the length of 18 in. or 2 ft.", according to Capt. Lyon, doubtless originat-
ing the notion of its being winged.
APPENDIX
TO THE
THIRTY-NINTH NUMBER
OF THE «
NEW SERIES
OF THE
MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY
BY THE EDITOR.
The Editor of the ^Entomological Magazine,' in termina-
ting that journal with the completion of the fifth volume,
and in voluntarily coming forward to render some ac-
count of his stewardship, tells us, he has resolved upon re-
linquishing on tJiis occasion, the editorial plural, that he
may address his brother entomologists in the more ego-
tistical but less assuming singular. My intercourse with
those v/ho peruse the columns of the * Magazine of Natu-
ral History' has not yet, in point of duration, placed me
in the same relative position as that lately occupied by
my Mend, Mr. Newman : — still, the period has been long
enough to make me think that, for once, I also may throw
aside the attribute in question, and may venture to address
the readers of this journal, not as the representative of those
who contribute, or of those who subscribe to its pages, and, as
such a representative, wielding a power that does not attach
itself to the abstract expression of individual sentiment ; — but
in the character simply of a student in the glorious domain
of nature, anxious, with them, to drink at the sources of sci-
entific knowledge, and, at the same time not forgetful that to
add something, however trivial, towards widening the stream
as it flows from the fountain, is the sole return that can be
made, for having tasted of its waters.
The position I am about to place myself in, — that of
principal in a cause which will stand recorded as " Charles-
worth versus Lyell and Owen," but which, perhaps, might
be more justly designated as "Lyell and Owen versus Charles-
worth," — is one, that with those who may not care to sift the
matter for themselves, will probably lay me open to unfa-
2 APPENDIX.
vorable animadversion. I must naturally expect that in
some quarters no exertion will be spared to affix a false
construction upon the motives which have prompted my
adoption of the present measure. The only contingency
however, of this kind, about which I feel the slightest ap-
prehension, is the chance of its being thought that I have
come forward with the present history, under a vain con-
ceit that details relating to the character of an Editor, in
his capacity of a private individual, must necessarily be
interesting from the vast importance attached to such a
personage. Now, whilst I am far from affecting indif-
ference to the possible tone of general rumour, I yet feel
that the necessity for carrying out the course which I have
determined on, does not originate in the relation in which
I am placed to the scientific public at large, but in the
relation existing between myself and that fraction only of
the scientific public to which the journal under my con-
troul owes its existence — the subscribers and contributors
to the Magazine. I plead guilty to the possession of so
much vanity as confidently to hope that their interest in
the reputation of the individual whom they have entrusted
with the editorship of the periodical in question, is such as
will not allow them to rest satisfied, without a critical exa-
mination of the real circumstances which have given rise to
this proceeding, at least in so far as those circumstances can
be judged of from the evidence which will be placed before
them : and, in committing this statement into their hands,
and in some measure investing them with the separate
functions of judge and jury, I do so, under the full con-
sciousness that if the nature of their verdict be not in my
favour, it is sure to be conveyed to me through a chan-
nel which is open to no possibility of misapprehension.
The major part of those whom I am addressing, may
possibly have had their attention arrested by a notice on
the wrapper of the December Magazine, (No. 36), and in
that case, they will perhaps have already anticipated that
the coiTespondence there announced for publication, is to form
the chief topic of discussion throughout the present enquiry.
In giving that intimation of the course which seemed to me
under the circumstances the only consistent, and the most
direct one to pursue, I was guided by two considerations. —
First, the making known to such as might by ex-parte ru-
mours hear of the matter, that publicity would be given to
its details ; — and, secondly, that of affording the interested
parties on the other side, full notice of my determination,
and an opportunity of suggesting some arrangement, should
APPENDIX. 3
any wish exist on their part to avert the present pub-
lication. But before I proceed to the correspondence,
or touch upon the immediate details with which it is
associated, I must in passing, say a word upon the pe-
culiar position occupied by the Editor of a scientific
periodical ; and I must refer to circumstances either di-
rectly arising from my connection with the Magazine, or
which have occurred to me since the direction of that
journal was first committed to my charge : — circumstan-
ces which, though they never can be wholly discarded
from my recollection, I had ceased to look upon, but as
of bye-gone times, only noted down in the pages of my
own memory. Now however, they must be ushered into
daylight. — They now assume an importance which makes
it imperative in me not to slur them over, since, by so do-
ing, I should leave the door open for it to be said, that
though on this occasion I had come forward with an ap-
parent vindication, there were things of earlier date which I
had prudently never ventured to discuss, — never attempted
to grapple with.
The Editor of a scientific journal, and the conductor
of a periodical devoted to general literature, respectively
occupy ground so widely dissimilar, that in the title of
their avocations is to be found the main relation of agreement
between them. As it regards the degree of intellectual ac-
quirement, necessary to qualify them for their respective du-
ties, they are placed on the same footing ; but farther than
this the parallel does not necessarily hold. The majority
of contributors to the latter class of publications, transfer
their ideas to paper as an honorable means of subsistence,
elaborating the materials according to the greater or less
demand for the supply. The great mass of readers read
for self-instruction or amusement, and the object gratified
they look no farther. Their interest in the contingent cir-
cumstances attending the publication of the periodical they
purchase, only extends to its regular appearance on the
first day of the month ; and should it retire from the stage,
the event merely gives them an opportunity of making a
fi'esh selection from amongst a hundred others. Who the
Editor may chance to be, or anything relating to him, forms
as little an object of their consideration as the name of
the founder who casts the type, or that of the manufacturer
who supplies the paper. But in that restricted section of peri-
odical literature, whose constitution diff'ers from that of the
general mass, inasmuch as the results of observation are
here at a premium, and those of imagination at a dis-
•4 APPENDIX.
count, another order of things predominates. It is here
that we find the savant who has reached the highest pin-
nacle of fame, and the humblest tyro destined perhaps
never even to cross the threshold of her temple, alike
registering the share of information which each respec-
tively has gleaned from the treasury of nature. If it be want-
ed that the result of individual research, secured to its
discoverer, shall rapidly circulate, and be sent forth simul-
taneously to every quarter in which homage is tendered at
the shrine of science, here it is that a channel is found
by which that object is made sure. It is the apprecia-
tion of this boon, on the part of those who are at work
in the field of physical research, and the consciousness
they possess, that these records of philosophical discovery
are far from being sources of wealth to their responsible
originators, which forms here a tie between Editor and
Contributor, that elsewhere is unknown. Both are as-
sisting, though in different ways, to further the same ex-
alted object, and the innate satisfaction arising from this
source, repays the appropriation of time and exertion which,
in one sense, might often be far more profitably employed.
It is here again that an Editor, in virtue of his position, ne-
cessarily becomes a party to the results which others have ar-
rived at, before those results are communicated to the world
at large; and whether their nature be one embracing simply
matters of fact, or those of philosophical induction, the power
of hastening or retarding the acquirement of a title to them
by their rightful owners, within certain limits, is vested in
himself. A knowledge of this, and of the opportunities
which an Editor must sometimes have at his command,
were he disposed unduly to exercise the power thus en-
trusted to him, brings with it the necessity for a firm be-
lief, on the part of the contributors, that their confidence
will not be abused. An individual, mixing in that sphere of
society wherein the less exact sciences are professedly made
the leading object of cultivation, may be willing, or perhaps
even ambitious of singly incurring the risk and labor attend-
ant upon the direction of a scientific periodical ; but he will
seek in vain to draw around him that class of supporters,
whose contributions alone can make a journal stand high
in public estimation, unless he enjoy a reputation dis-
tinct from that which forms the mere attribute of philoso-
phical attainment.
T took the Editorship of the Magazine of Natural History at
a period in the career of life which, if not the most mature,
is perhaps the most sanguine — the transition from youth to
APPENDIX. 5
manhood. I became acquainted with the later vohimes of
the first series whilst studying in the metropolis, with a
view of legally qualifying myself for the practice of an ac-
tive profession; and though their contents could not fail to
interest me, I sometimes thought that a firmer tone might
be given to the work, by a more careful selection of
materials, and, as a general rule, the omission of un-
authenticated contributions. Hearing accidentally in the lat-
ter part of the year 1836, that a gentleman who assisted Mr.
Loudon in the general editorship of the magazine, was about
to leave the neighbourhood of London, I obtained a letter of
introduction, and voluntarily offered my services, which were
accepted, and my proposal also agreed to, that a second se-
ries should be issued, to commence in January, 1837, Mr.
Loudon continuing proprietor, and, of course, taking all the
pecuniary responsibility incurred by the publication.^ Popu-
lar and elementary Natural History was then being diffused
through the medium of light publications, in a very cheap
form ; and I was convinced, both as a matter of policy and
inclination, that my course was, if possible, to make the se-
cond series embrace a larger share of the philosophy of the
science, and a greater amount of those descriptive details
which should enhance its absolute value to practical natural-
ists. The prospect of success, however, was anything but
flattering. Dr. Johnstone, who had long been one of Mr.
Loudon's most valuable contributors, had just united with
Sir Wm. Jardine to conduct a newly-established journal, —
the ' Magazine of Zoology and Botany,' can-ying with him
several more correspondents disposed to give the preference
to that one of the two Magazines, which promised to take
the higher stand as a scientific periodical. And about the
same time another section of Mr. Loudon's supporters, com-
prising some of the most frequent contributors to the Maga-
zine, had apparently taken under their patronage a rival peri-
odical,— *The Naturalist.' A few of the original correspondents
were still remaining, but how they might feel towards a strange
editor, was, of course, altogether problematical. Under these
disadvantages, and without the possibility of forcing a supply
of communications, by proposals of pecuniary remuneration ;
with no other weight attached to my name than its influence
among a circle of friends, taking a warm interest in the culti-
vation of similar pursuits, I entered on my new avocation.
» At tlie close of the year 1838, the proprietorship of the Magazine was
transferred into my own hand?:, and the pecuniary responsibility has from
that period entirely rested with myself.
D APPENDIX.
The present month brings with it the thirty-ninth number
of the second series, and within this as yet brief career of its
existence, nearly two hundred of those with whom Natural
History forms a leading study or an occasional recreation, have
registered their observations on its pages. Large as this num-
ber is, the amount itself carries with it no peculiar virtue ; but
considering how great is the proportion upon the list, whose
scientific reputation is firmly established, and that it in-
cludes many of the most distinguished naturalists of the
day, I cannot help feeling that my original ambition has
been even more than realized. But could I then have known
what I now know, of the history of scientific natural-history
periodicals ; — could I have foreseen the nerve that sometimes
must be exercised, when, single-handed, and without exten-
sive resources, an editor determines, under all circumstances,
and at all hazards, to follow one undeviating course of fear-
less independence ; — I should indeed have shrunk from what
I was undertaking.
Disappointments have occurred to me, that no share of
foresight could have averted ; and attempts have occasionally
been made to crush the Magazine, in quarters where they
might least have been expected to originate : but still, I en-
tertain the idea, that it will never prove to me a source of
regret, that I should have stepped forward to carry on a peri-
odical, of which the sphere of usefulness might otherwise
have been suspended. The dark spots on the surface of the
picture, are not so numerous as to obscure the brighter por-
tions. And at whatever period the relation in which I now
stand to a large and influential section of British natural-
ists, may be destined to terminate, — the intellectual enjoy-
ment that I have derived from intercourse with those who,
in many instances, previously unknown to me, have so cor-
dially seconded the promotion of my object, must always
form a bright page in the book of retrospection.
I have spoken of the establishment of two journals in the
year 1836, devoted to Natural History, and both of these
were critically noticed by me in the first number of the Ma-
gazine which was issued with my name as its responsible
Editor. ' Of the merits of the * Magazine of Zoology and Bo-
tany' I expressed the highest opinion; at the same time freely
commenting on what I conceived to be the demerits of its
cotemporary, the * Naturalist.' I believed these two periodi-
cals to differ, also, no less in relation to the ultimate objects
iQf the first series, tlie three last numbers only were edited by myself,
previously to which I had no connection with the work.
i
APPENDIX. 7
of their respective originators. The former, I have every rea-
son to think, was really established solely with a view to the
interests of science, and equally so that the latter was set on
foot under an impression that the ^ Magazine of Natural His-
tory ' was a source of pecuniary emolument to Mr. Loudon,
and that it might be supplanted by a vigorous attempt to
win over its supporters to another journal. Mr. Mudie's
highly entertaining article on the king-fisher, and other
communications equally original, were, under these circum-
stances, much too good to be lost sight of; but in saying
what 1 did, I felt that if my criticisms were unjust, I was
the only party who would be laughed at: — if candid, I
was doing the ' Naturalist' a service rather than an injury.
The step taken by Mr. Loudon of commencing a new series
of his journal, instead of respectfully withdrawing it out
of deference to the new comers, had, no doubt, the effect of
greatly disconcerting the projectors of the last-named perio-
dical; and in this emergency one of the parties prominently
concerned — Mr. Neville Wood — originated the following
scheme, — to gull, if possible, sofne London published', upon the
sti'ength of a fabricated statement, which should be drawn
up and furnished by Mr. Wood, into the belief that the
' Magazine of Natural History" might so easily be driven
out of the field, as to ensure a highly-profitable speculation
to any one who would attempt to effect this object by means
of the ' Naturalist.' Mr. Wood, having been one of Mr. Lou-
don's most frequent correspondents, and having also written
an ornithological work for one of the most respectable pub-
lishers in London (Mr. Parker), might naturally be supposed
to know something of the real facts, and the gratuitous nature
of the statement he was about to concoct, would therefore be
less likely to excite suspicion. Various London publishers
were accordingly written to, and the substance of Mr. Wood's
applications may be gathered from the following specimen,
copied verbatim, with the omission merely of the business-
details relating to the circulation and expenses of the work.
No. 1.
Campsall Hall, near Doncaster,
March 27, 1837.
Sir,
The proprietorship of ' the Naturalist ' has lately become
vacant ; and as it would be advantageous to have the work well supported
in London, and knowing your liberal spirit in such matters, I think it right
to make you the first offer. * * * * If it were printed in London the
sale would rapidly increase, so as to render it profitable. Loudon's Maga-
zine now gives universal dissatisfaction ; and it is the opinion of all our best
naturalists^ that a spirited monthly Magazine, published and printed in Lon-
8 APPENDIX.
don, would compel that icork to discontinue at the close of the year. It has
nowjcery few advertisements, and Loudon has left it. * * * If you
like to take it [the Naturalist], I promise to use my best efforts to en-
crease its sale among my numerous correspondents, and a better time there
can scarce be for takins^ the work, when Loudon's is so rapidly going down
in public estimation. Jardine's Magazine of Zoology and Botany is two-
monthly, and so dry and scientific as to have a very limited sale, and with
the exception of the Naturalist, England cannot boast of a single good
Magazine of Natural History. * * If it were printed in London, I am
sure it would become profitable.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
NEVILLE WOOD.
P. S. — I had'proposed to send this through an M.P., but as.the con-
tents are important, think it better it should go direct.^
To Mr.
Now for the reply of the party to whom the above appli-
cation was addressed.
No. 2.
London, April 8, 1837.
Sir,
I have given your proposal consideration, and do not con-
ceive it would be to my advantage to enter into any arrangement for the
publication of the ' Naturalist.' I can have no wish in any way to discou-
rage you, but I think it will be a matter of difficulty to supplant Loudon's
Magazine.
Your's kc.
Neville Wood, Esq.
Campsall Hall.
In the case of periodical w^orks devoted to general litera-
ture, and which are carried on so long as they are sources of
pecuniary emolument to editors or publishers, the London
booksellers can form a tolerably correct estimate of their re-
spective stability by the number of copies which pass through
their hands ; and hence little or no injury could be sustained
by the private circulation of false information. But as it re-
spects scientific journals, generally speaking, the number of
copies sold is so limited that this criterion does not exist ; and
Mr. Wood's statement that the new series of the ' Magazine
of Natural History ' gave universal dissatisfaction, and that
Mr. Loudon had ceased to have any connection wdth the
work, might, under some circumstances, have been productive
* The ex-editor of the ' Naturalist' has placed himself in so critical a
position by writing this, and sending other letters of a similar character,
that I presume he will be very well satisfied to find himself arraigned be-
fore no other bar than that of public opinion.
APPENDIX. SI
of real mischief, and so far, the fabrication was judiciously
planned. At the very time, however, that Mr. Wood was
writing to the London publishers, and informing them that
all the naturalists of eminence considered the Magazine as
worthless, he had the conscience to send to me the following
note : —
No. 3.
Campsall Hall, near Doncaster,
April 4th, 1837.
Mr. Neville Wood presents liis compliments to Mr. Charlesworth, and
would feel obliged by a notice of the ' Naturalist' in the ' Magazine of
Natural History.' Mr. Wood's connection with the work commences with
the enclosed number.
However well Mr. Wood's scheme might be devised, it was
altogether a failure in relation to the contemplated object, for
the ' Naturalist ' continued to be printed in the country, and
every succeeding month brought with it the names of new
supporters to the Magazine which it was to have supplant-
ed. The necessity for some yet more energetic measure was
therefore apparent; and a plot was accordingly arranged,
which, as a master-stroke of policy, threw the first altogether
into the shade. Its nature was as follows. — To fabricate
some statement which should be in the highest degree inju-
rious to the personal character of the new editor of the Ma-
gazine of Natural History ; then to write a long notice of
the second series, speaking most favorably of its scientific
merits, but at the close of the article cleverly introducing
these fabricated particulars. To get the tvhole inserted in
the literary department of some provincial newspaper, and
to transmit by post, copies of this newspaper to the parties
contributing to the new series of Mr. Loudon^ s journal.
The conception of this plot was in every way admirable.
It was a hundred chances to one that the editor of the pa-
per would conceive it necessary to peruse a lengthy scientific
notice, before the article went to press, and if any legal con-
sequences ensued, the author of the fabrications had nothing
to fear, — the legal responsibility falling on the publishers.
Fifteen or twenty copies of the newspaper might be had for
a few shillings ; — they would go postage-free ; — and if only
half a dozen of them took effect, in occasioning that number
of contributors to withdraw their support, it might at that pe-
riod have been fatal to the existence of the Magazine.
The project was boldly cut out, but most miserably carried
into execution. For no sooner did the article appear in the
' Sheffield Iris,' the newspaper selected for its introduction,
10 APPENDIX.
than Mr. Neville Wood reprinted the statement upon the co-
ver of bis own journal, and sent presentation copies of that
one number, to the scientific societies of London, where
the new editor of the Magazine being well known, the for-
gery was sure to be detected. A member of the Council of
the Zoological Society brought the subject officially before
the notice of that body, and the result was, that the then se-
cretary received instructions to return the copy of the * Natu-
ralist' to Mr. Wood, and to communicate to him by letter the
determination of the Council, not to admit the work into the
library of their Society. The records of our metropolitan
scientific institutions probably do not furnish another instance
of a presentation copy of a work being rejected, under cir-
cumstances so discreditable to its author.
Mr. Neville Wood will probably say that his pen did not
furnish the manuscript to the ' Sheffield Iris,' nor his hand
post the copies of that paper to their respective destinations ;
but whether it was done by him or for him, is nothing to
the purpose : that he was a party to the fabrication, it is im-
possible to doubt ; for had he not been so, upon the return of
the ' Naturalist' by the Council of the Zoological Society, he
would of course have given some intimation, in a subsequent
number of his journal, of there having been no foundation for
the injurious statements referred to ; and which statements
he had reprinted, protected by the cowardly manoeu\Te, of
quoting as an authority the columns of a provincial paper.
From the editor of the 'Iris' I received the following
letter.
No. 4.
Iris Office, Nov. 7, 1837.
Sir,
I received yours dated November 1st, and immediately endea-
voured to make reparation for the mistake I had unintentionally permitted
to appear in the Iris, by inserting an apology in the most conspicuous place
of the same paper of this day, a copy of which I have forwarded to you by
this day's post
I regret exceedingly the misstatements, as I had not the slightest
intention of doing any injury to the sale of the periodical you are connected
with, or to Mr. Loudon, or to you, as a gentleman and an editor, through
the pages of the Iris. I trust this, and the explanation in the /ns, will be
deemed satisfactory.
I remain,
Your most obedient Servant,
JOHN BRIDGEFORD.
To what extent I may have sustained injury in quarters
where personally Mr. Neville Wood and myself are alike un-
known, I have no means of forming an opinion. I trusted
APPENDIX. 11
that those who saw the article, either through an anony-
mously-received copy of the Iris paper, or by a perusal of it
on the wTapper of the * Naturalist,' would exercise their dis-
crimination, and judge of the probability of its truth, from
the support afforded me in my position as editor, by metro-
politan naturalists immediately around me.
The Rev. W. T. Bree, whose interest in the prosperity of
the Magazine I know to be undiminished, though, of late, he
has been a less frequent contributor to its columns, volunta-
rily observes, in a letter addressed to me in February, 1838,
— " I think the attempts made to decry the Magazine, have
" been quite unworthy of naturalists, and, indeed, most un-
" handsome ; witness an article in the paper which accom-
" panies this, which was sent to me by an unknown hand. —
" Probably you have seen the article before this ; 1 quite for-
" get the particulars, and shall not peruse them again." It is
hardly necessary to state that this paper was a copy of the
* Sheffield Iris; ' and Mr. Bree being then a stranger to me, I
felt sincerely his kindness in thus giving me the opportunity,
had I thought it necessary, to satisfy him as to the fabricated
nature of the statements which it contained. If I am blamed
for not having, injustice to myself, come forward with these
details at the period when the circumstance occurred, I can
only say, that I preferred the chance of incurring some share
of personal injury, to the task of displaying, in connection
with Natural History, a picture of depravity so lamentable
as the one now revealed ; and it is only the absolute necessity
that exists for my clearing the ground as I advance, that has
length compelled me to withdraw the veil from that which I
would a thousand times rather should have remained in ob-
scurity.
In the seventh volume of the first series of this journal,
page 476, a critical notice is given of a book, entitled, —
* Memoirs of Ichthyosauri and Plesiosauri, extinct Monsters
of the ancient Earth:' by T. Hawkins, F.G.S. The author
of this work had accumulated an extensive series of saurian
remains from the lias of Somerset and Dorsetshire, and the
collection thus formed was, in the year 1833, offered by its
possessor for sale to the British Museum ; and after a consi-
^ As the name of Mr. Maund, the conductor of the * Botanist' and ' Bo-
tanic Garden,' appeared originally on the wrapper of the ' Naturalist,' I am
hound to state that I know of nothing whatever to implicate this gentle-
man in any of the ahove proceedings.
I2 APPENDIX.
derable delay the purchase was ultimately effected for the
sum of £1250. In 1835, a Parliamentary Committee was ap-
pointed by the House, to enquire generally into the state and
management of the British Museum, and among other matters
of which they took cognizance, were the circumstances under
which Mr. Hawkins's collection was bought ; more especially
with reference to the minutes of certain steps taken by the
Trustees, in consequence of a communication made to them
by Mr. Konig, as to the state of some portion of the collec-
tion. I shall here make an extract from the Parliamentary
Report.
" The Rev. Josiah Forshall called in ; and examined.
"2962. DO you produce any papers which the Committee called for on
a fonner day, with reference to Mr. Hawkins's collection? — The first paper
I now produce, is a copy of a report made by Sir Henry Ellis, Mr. Konig,
and Mr. Children, on the 2nd of February, 1829, regarding the department
of Natural History. — {See Appendix, No. 27). — That paper does not relate
at all to Mr. Hawkins's fossil remains.
" The first paper I have in my custody regarding Mr. Hawkins's fossil
remains, is a minute of the 1 1th of May, 1833, it merely states that an of-
fer was made by Mr. Hawkins of a collection of fossil remains ; that a let-
ter from Professor Buckland, on the subject of the collection, was laid
before the Board; and that the Trustees, being ignorant of the extent of
the collection and the price at which it was estimated, declined the offer.
" In the following month, June 1833, there is a second minute, that a
letter was read from Mr. Thomas Hawkins, offering to the Trustees his
collection of fossil organic remains for £4,000. ; Mr. Hawkins expressed
his willingness to dispose of the best of the Saurian animals for £3,000. ;
or should that offer prove unacceptable, with the rarest of them for £2,000.;
a catalogue and drawings of the most remarkable specimens were laid be-
fore the Trustees, and the Trustees declined the purchase."
The next is simply a copy of a British-Museum minute.
" (11.)— MINUTE of Committee, dated 1 August, 1834.
" At a Committee,
"A Letter, dated 12th July, from Professor Buckland was read, stat-
ing that he and Mr. Mantell had separately estimated every article in Mr.
Hawkins's Fossil Sauri, and that they considered the remains figured in
Mr. Hawkins's work to be worth £1,025.; and that the worth of the re-
maining Sauri, not figured in the published plates, was £225. These last
Professor Buckland and Dr. Mantell strongly recommended to be also ac-
quired for the Museum.
" This estimate was stated by Professor Buckland to be exclusive of the
value of the cases in which some of the fossils are set; these last had been
valued by Mr. William Caldecott and Mr. W. Bracher, two upholsterers
and appraisers, at £60 5s.
" The Secretary acquainted the Board, that as directed by the Minute
of the last Committee, and under the sanction of several of the Trustees,
to whom Professor Buckland's letter had been communicated, he had writ-
APPENDIX. 13
ten to the Lords of the Treasury, recommending the purchase to the con-
sideration of their Lordships.
" A letter, dated the 29th July, from the Treasury was read, stating that
the Lords Commissioners concurred in opinion -with the Trustees, that the
opportunity should not be lost of acquiring possession of Mr. Hawkins's
collection of fossil organic remains, to the great value of which such strong
testimony is borne by most competent witnesses, and that their Lordships
had directed an estimate for £1,310 5s. for the purchase of them to be laid
before Parliament.
" /. Forshally Secretary.
" British Museum, 22 July, 1835."
Without considering it necessary to quote farther from the
Parliamentary Report, I shall merely state that it appears from
the rest of the British-Museum Minutes, that shortly after
Mr. Hawkins's collection had been removed to the British
Museum, a communication was made to the Trustees by the
Principal of the Natural History department, Mr. Konig, res-
pecting some modelled parts of the two largest specimens; —
that in consequence of this communication an enquiry into the
matter was instituted, but that the explanations afforded were
deemed so far satisfactory, that the Trustees came to the de-
termination "that it was unnecessary to enquire farther into
the circumstances attending the purchase of Mr. Hawkins's
collection."
It so happened that during the treaty with the British Mu-
seum for the sale of his fossils, Mr. Hawkins had taken me,
in company with a third party, to inspect his collection ;
and circumstances connected wdth this visit led me narrowly
to look into the printed details of the Parliamentary investiga-
tion. Now from this perusal I certainly received an unfa-
vourable impression of the nature of the transaction, as it
regarded the seller, but I had no wish to render that opi-
nion notorious by any public expression of it, though I
most assuredly conceived myself at liberty to discuss the mat-
ter, under all ordinary circumstances, — a privilege which I
presume, in common with myself, every one else would claim,
in respect to any other national purchase which may subse-
quently have become a subject of Parliamentary investigation.
In the latter part of 1838 I was dining at the house of an
intimate friend, and a near relative of the late Dr. Thomas
Young, whose name as a philosopher, ranks among the high-
est that this country can boast of, when Mr. Hawkins's name
was introduced (not by myself), and some questions put to
me which elicited my opinion upon the affair with the British
Museum. From circumstances w^hich then transpired, I found
that the parties who had volunteered the interrogatories were
14 APPENDIX.
personal friends of Mr. Hawkins's. Had a previous intimation
been given me of this, I should either have declined answering
the questions altogether, or I should have so shaped my re-
plies that no unfair advantage could be taken of what I said.
From the tenour of what passed on the occasion, I was pre-
pared to hear farther of the matter, and a short time afterwards
I was written to, and invited to retract my opinion, or to state
what I could in its justification ; the party writing to me being
one of those who had in the first instance questioned me. In
replying to this letter I had no suspicion that legal proceed-
ings were in contemplation. I subsequently, however, under-
stood, that Mr. Hawkins intended to move for a criminal
information against me ; and shortly afterwards I received
the following letter from Mr. Robert Young, sen., the father
of the gentleman at whose house I was a guest, and one of
the party present at the dinner-table when the conversation
alluded to arose.
No. 5.
31 Deer. 1838,
46, Nelson Square.
Dear Sir,
I have exchanged a letter with Mr. Hawkins on the subject
which has lately caused so much unhappy discussion between the parties
concerned, and into which I need not now enter. Mr. H. has consented
to suspend the matter for a week, but he requires terms on which I wish to
have some conversation with you, and if you will breakfast with me here
tomorrow morning at a quarter past 8, I think we shall be likely to ascer-
tain what is to be done better than by writing.
If you cannot come to breakfast, I will endeavour to call on you in
the course of tomorrow ; three o'clock to half past would suit me, if you
will say where. In the mean time I am,
Yours faithfully,
ROBT. YOUNG.
That Mr. Young, sen., was actuated by the very best mo-
tives in this attempt to bring about an aiTangement of the
affair, there cannot be a doubt; but he had received no au-
thority from me to enter into negociations with Mr. Hawkins,
and had he consulted me previously to his doing so, I should
have told him that so far as I was concerned, no advances
whatever should be made to arrest the course which Mr.
Hawkins proposed to take. ^ No other result therefore arose
^ There were no grounds on which Mr. Hawkins could have obtained a
rule for a criminal information ; the only course open to him being that of
a civil action.
APPENDIX. 15
from our interview, but that of Mr. Young deeming it expe-
dient to send me copies of the correspondence which had
passed between himself and Mr. Hawkins. From the letters
of the latter I shall furnish a brief extract or two. The first
bears date Dec. 29, 1839, and is written at Sharpham Park,
near Glastonbury, Mr. Hawkins's place of residence.
No. 6. ,
" You must be aware, Sir, that a criminal action would cost him, [the
Editor of the Mag. Nat. Hist.] at least £500, for I should follow the ex-
ample of the Duke of Cumberland, and subpoena every witness that ever
had anything to do with my transactions with the British Museum ; and
also your son's dinner. I should degrade myself by an indulgence of any
thing like revenge, but it is no less my dutj^ to crush for ever a lie, which
seems to have been carefully organized and' perpetrated whenever an op-
portunity could be found. This is the only object I have — to crush this
lie for ever — it can be effected only by a public retraction, that is all I de-
mand, and that I will, so help me God, obtain. You appeal to my lenity,
I honour your feelings, and will defer instructions to my solicitor seven
days from your receipt of this. If, within that time, this person writes an
ample apology to , containing a no less ample disavowal
of every offensive word he uttered against myself, and if I receive the said
apology within the said time, there is an end of the matter. I need not
add that until one week I shall neither say nor write one word on the sub-
ject. I also need not add that you are at liberty to communicate the en-
tire contents of this letter to any one. I reiterate to any one.
And remain, &c. &c.
T. HAWKINS.
Robert Young, Esq.
In a subsequent epistle dated Jany. 4, 1839, Mr. Hawkins
proceeds to enlighten Mr. Young in the following strain. —
No. 7.
<'♦•*! liave therefore to repeat — and I do it with regret, in that
I am not able to concede anything you ask of me — that I insist on a
full, ample, and most satisfactory apology to , and as full a re-
traction of anything against myself. Nothing one iota short of this shall
prevent my bringing a criminal action, if I live, and there be one lawyer
in England that will undertake it.
" Considering that you will not receive this until Monday next, I shall
concede this person the further grace of three days, that is to say till Thurs-
day next. On the next Friday, if I do not meantime receive all I demand
the case will be no longer in my hands, but those of my attorney.
" In the case of a criminal action I should subpoena and put upon oath
every person at the dinner. They may be ready or unwilling witnesses,
but it matters not. * * * I feel that I have conceded to your feelings
and importunity too much, but I will abide by my word and wait till next
Thursday's post, for that self-damning confession which I will move hea-
ven and earth to have, if it be not spontaneously made.
T. HAWKINS.
Robert Young, Esq.
16 APPENDIX.
With a view of showing that Mr. Hawkins could adopt the
language of the most cringing adulation, as well as that of the
coarsest bullying, just as it chanced to suit his purpose, I here
insert some passages from the correspondence between him-
self and Dr. Buckland, written at the time during which the
negociation with the British Museum for the purchase of the
collection was pending.
No. 8.
" Clifford St., July 5th, 1834.
" I beg you to leceive my sincere regards. This afternoon I have been
told by the Revd. Secretary at the British Museum, that the Trustees ex-
pressed much regret that the sum which* my collection was confessedly
worth, exceeded their ability, and that it would be most agreeable to them
if Government would take up the question. You have obliged me already,
and this emboldens me to solicit another favour at your hands. Would
you give me a letter of introduction to the of , or any other
high personage who may have influence with Her Majesty's Ministers?
This, with a direct and energetic letter from yourself, would effect all that
we can desire, — the preservation to the nation of my giant collection. I
am aware that I take a great liberty, but I am also persuaded that you do
feel some intellectual interest in the success of my design. This, with the
assurance that I have of the ready attention with which the great flatter
your wishes, induce me to place all my reliance upon you.
The Rev. Prof. Buckland.
No. 9.
" Bloomsbury Square, May 13th, 1833.
" Permit me to obsei*ve that I would you had yourself determined the
money part as well as the rest of the question, although I must defer to
the judicious — the delicate motive that induced you to decline doing so, —
and to add that I have so arranged that portion of my collection purposed
for the Museum, that you and Mr. Mantell could arrive at an estimate in
one hour, which I am sure Mr. Mantell would spare for such an occasion.
If any variation of opinion about price happen between you, let that di-
fference be split, as the commercial world nervously calls it ; for how much
debate and inconvenience, loss of time, &c., the presence of a third party
would occasion. In truth, my ark — my idol — is in your hands ; you are
its most efficient keeper, and to nominate another would be unnecessary,
and as humiliating to me as two co-temporaneous high priests to the Jews.
Besides, I shall from time to time make such additions, (perhaps by way
of donation to the British Museum) to the collection, as will — am I rash ?
— transmit my name with your's— the founder, the real founder of the col-
lection there — to posterity.
The Rev. Prof. Buckland.
Mr. Young sent me copies of the letters which he had re-
ceived from Mr. Hawkins, under an idea that when I saw the
warlike aspect.of his intentions I should be frightened, and feel
the expediency of coming to terms with him if possible. The
only effect however, produced, was that their perusal quite
APPENDIX. 17
satisfied me as to the correctness of my original opinion ; for
had every thing been * right ' in the British-Museum transac-
tion, there would have been no occasion for all this display of
thundering scurrility. Mr. Hawkins would have applied for
a retraction, and upon its being refused, have quietly given
his solicitor instructions to take such measures as, under the
circumstances, he might deem expedient. In this position of
affairs, conceiving that it might save the parties indirectly
concerned in the matter, a great deal of unnecessary trouble
and suspense, I determined to let Mr. Hawkins know the
ground I was prepared to occupy, and accordingly I drew up
and enclosed a letter to my solicitors, (Messrs. Richardson &
Talbot, of Bedford Row), with a request that they, as my le-
gal advisers, would forward a copy of it to Sharpham Park, in
time for the Thursday's post. Its purport merely was to inform
Mr. Hawkins, that his threats had been communicated to me ;
that 1 would neither apologise to him for, nor retract the
opinion I had expressed ; and that I had given my solicitors
instructions to take all necessary steps for meeting whatever
legal proceedings he thought proper to adopt.
The call of the postman at Sharpham Park on the morning
fixed for the arrival of the " self-damning confession," I ra-
ther take it, placed Mr. Hawkins in a predicament that he
was anything but prepared for. Never dreaming after he had
passed safely through the ordeal of an investigation, by a select
committee of the House of Commons, that I should venture
to stand by my opinion, and test it before a judicial tribunal,
he had pledged himself to Mr. Young, either to obtain a re-
traction of the imputation which had escaped my lips, or to
institute a prosecution against me in a criminal court of jus-
tice. His letter, containing an oath to that effect, w^as not
ten days old ; and now there was staring him in the face, a
rejoinder from my solicitors, accepting the challenge, in a
tone that held out no chance of a loop-hole for evasion.
Some time elapsed before Mr. Hawkins mustered even cou-
rage to state his ground of action, but at length he lodged his
declaration with my solicitors, laying the damages at ^1000.
founding the proceedings upon tlie letter which I wrote to the
party who questioned me at my friend's table. The decla-
ration sets forth that Mr. Hawkins ''had deservedly oh-
" tained the good opinion and credit of all his neighbours ;
^^ yet the defendant [Charlesworth] well knowing the pre-
•* mises but greatly envying the happy state and condition of
" the plaintiff [Hawkins], and contriving and wickedly in-
" tending to^ injure him in his said good name, fame, and
''credit, and to bring him into public scandal, infamy, and
18 APPENDIX.
" disgrace, and to vex, harass, and oppress, the plaintiff, on
" the 22nd dag of December, A.D. 1838, in the form of a let-
" ter addressed to one , falsely and
" maliciously did compose atid publish, of and concerning the
" plaintiff, a false, scandalous, malicious, and defamatory
" libel, containing among other things the libellous matter
^'following ; * It appears by the published evidence of a Par-
" ' liamentary Investigation^ (meaning thereby by two print'
" ' ed and published reports from the Select Committee of the
" ^ House of Commons on the British Museum, together with
" 'Minutes of Evidence, (^c." That Mr. Hawkins (meaning
'^ plaintiff.) * * ******
" * * * By means of the committing of which
'^ said several grievances by the defendant, the plaintiff hath
" been and is greatly injured in his good name, fame, and
" credit, and brought into public scandal, infamy, and dis-
" grace with and amongst all his neighbours, insomuch that
" divers of those neighbours and subjects to whom the inno-
" cence of the plaintiff in the said offences and misconduct
** so as aforesaid mentioned to have been charged upon and
" imputed to the plaintiff were unknown, have on occasion
" of the committing of the said several grievances by the de-
^'fendant, from thence hitherto suspected and believed, and
*' still do suspect and believe, the plaintiff to have been guilty
" of the offences and misconduct so as aforesaid, and have,
** by reason of the committing of the said several grievances
" as aforesaid by the defendant, from thence hitherto refused
" and still do refuse their countenance and friendship to
" plaintiff, and the plaintiff hath been and is by means oj
" the premises, otherwise greatly injured and damnified to
" the damage of the plaintiff of ^£1000., and therefore he
" brings his suit, &c."
Now if I had ever seriously entertained the slightest wish to
" vex, harass, and oppress " the author of the folio on the ex-
tinct Saurians, I could have done so most effectually, without
incurring the slightest personal risk, since there was nothing
to prevent my bringing forward in the Magazine the subject
of the Parliamentary inquiry, and there pointing out what ap-
peared to me to be the weak points and inconsistencies in the
pubhshed evidence. There were ample materials on which
to exercise my ingenuity. So far from having written the
letter, maliciously with the intention of injuring the plain-
tiff, the original expression of my opinion was drawn from
me, under the most confidential circumstances, — after
which I was written to, and asked what I could advance in
its justification ; and then the party so writing to me goes
APPENDIX. 19
direct with my answer to Mr. Hawkins, to enable him to bring
an action upon the strength of its contents, and Mr. Hawkins
himself is the person to go about and make known to his
friends and neighbours, what had been said or written of him,
and what he had " declared " he should do in consequence.
It will readily be supposed that this trial would have been
likely to excite some little interest in the Geological world;
and it was not long in getting wind, that an inquiry into the
circumstances attending the disposal to the British Museum,
of Mr. Hawkins's fossil saurians, was to be brought forward
in a legal shape. A gentleman, well known from his con-
tributions to both the first and present series of this journal,
passing through Oxford on his way to London, chanced to
call on Dr. Buckland, and in the course of his visit, was
somewhat startled at being informed by the Professor, that
the Editor of the Magazine of Natural History was on " the
brink of ruin." Dr. Buckland, after explaining to him the
state of the case, and learning that the party in question was
personally known to me, exhorted him to use his best efforts
to induce my falling in with Mr. Hawkins's proposal, it being
understood between them, that he was at liberty to commu-
nicate to me the Doctor's ideas upon the subject. Now it
was a most unwarrantable assumption on the part of Dr.
Buckland, to intimate to any third party, and especially to
a naturalist contributing to the Magazine, that the Editor
was on the brink of ruin, for no other reason than that an ac-
tion was commenced against him, and the damages laid at
a thousand pounds. He had no more foundation to justify
his drawing that inference, than I should have had, if it had
happened that Dr. Buckland had been the defendant in the
cause instead of myself. The gentleman above alluded to, on
his reaching London, saw me upon the subject, and I am sure
that he sincerely hoped to render me a service in so doing. —
Merely therefore, expressing my conviction of, and thanks for
his friendly intentions, I shall pass on to a note received
from Mr. Lyell.
No. 10.
Dear Sir,
Happening to meet Dr. Buckland at dinner yesterday, I found
him most willing to be a mediator, and indeed he had already taken some
steps, though by no means aware the affair had proceeded so far. He will,
I believe, expect you to give a verbal apology of some sort before the par-
ties in whose company you used the expressions complained of, but as he
said this in conversation, I cannot of course know precisely what he will
20 APPENDIX.
suggest. I know not where he is, prohably at the Salopian coffee-house,
but I believe Mr. Young knows.
Yours truly,
CHARLES LYELL.
[No date affixed, but received February 17th, 1839].
It has been often said that there is but one step from the
sublime to the ridiculous. Here we have Mr. Thomas Haw-
kins, F.G.S., willing to forego the chance of his thousand
pounds, — flinging to the winds all his solemn protestations, —
and resorting to the pitiful expedient of getting Dr. Buckland
to suggest that I should make "some sort of verbal apology." !!!
Now I was very very far from courting the honour of break-
ing a lance with this said Mr. Hawkins, in the Court of Com-
mon Pleas, however grateful the neighbouring hotel-keepers
might feel under the prospect of being intrusted with the care
of half a hundred subpoenaed spectators ; but I was still less
ambitious of calling in the aid of a go-between, to mediate
betwixt me and the Glastonbury champion. For this and
other equally cogent reasons, I declined, in as courteous a
manner as I could, a proposal originating with Dr. Buckland,
that I should have an interview with him to talk over the
matter.
The next communication I received, was from a gentleman
towards whom I have reason for entertaining the highest feel-
ings of respectful regard, — the Rev. J. Forshall, the Secretary
of the British Museum.
No. 11.
Dear Charlesworth,
Dr. Buckland has called upon me in reference to some
dispute between you and M. T. Hawkins. Dr. Buckland seems to think
that you are ignorant of the facts of the case, and that I may possibly be
able to explain them to you.
Have you any objection to come and see me ?
Yours very truly,
British Museum, J. FORSHALL.
18th Feb. 1839.
I most readily complied with Mr. Forshall's proposal, but
the only result was his writing to Dr. Buckland, to inform him
of the unsuccessful nature of the interview which followed.
I presumed that the idea of frightening me into the admis-
sion that I did not mean what I said, was now abandoned as
hopeless. Five or six weeks had passed, and neither iheheavens
nor the earth exhibiting any extraordinary acceleration of their
movements, I was beginning to suspect that Mr. Hawkins
had had a change come " o'er the spirit of his dreani,^' when
APPENDIX. 21
the same gentleman who was entrusted with the commission
from Oxford, saw me again, and informed me that as I had
persisted in maintaining my original opinion. Dr. Bucliland
now intended to make himself a party to the action, and not
to suffer Mr. Hawkins to let it drop ; and that in the presence
of my informant and other parties, he had positively declared
his intention to this effect, the previous night, at the rooms of
the Geological Society. That this declaration of Dr. Buckland's
w^as specially meant for my ears, I have not a doubt, though
it was brought to me under a real apprehension that if I did
not think better of my determination, the united forces of Mr.
Hawkins and the Professor would be more than a match for
me, and that I should inevitably be crushed. The composure
with which I received the news of the powerful ally who had
enlisted against me under Mr. Hawkins's banner, appeared, I
dare say, highly philosophical to the bearer of the tidings. —
The simple truth was, however, that I felt quite satisfied that
Dr. Buckland had no intention of carrying his declaration
into effect, because had he seriously contemplated a step of
that description, he would have had the shrewdness to have
kept it to himself. That this guess of mine was not a great
way off* the truth, was not long after confirmed in a manner
that I little expected, by the following document falling in
my way. It matters not who was the writer of this, — nor to
whom it was addressed, — nor how it came into my hands, —
its genuineness will not be called into question, or should it
be, all particulars can be readily furnished.
No. 12.
" On Friday I went over to see Hawkins, and I found that the affair is
suspended for some time. In fact I think that the delay is tantamount to
hringing no action at all. Suspended, he tells me, until the Chanc. Exch.
has given him an answer relative to his large collection, all the particulars
of which must come before Parliament, before they grant the money for the
purchase, and we know how long these affairs hang about before they get
settled." * * * "It moreover appears that Buckland wrote to Haw-
kins a letter, advising him, from what I could collect, not to proceed ; this
letter he placed in Satchell's [plaintiff's attorney] hands, and left him,
he tells me, to his own choice, as to continuing the action or not; so that
altogether the thing will, I think, drop."
It only wanted this to make the farce perfect ; — Mr. Haw-
kins, exulting in the certainty of my being fast in his clutches,
offers me, in the plenitude of his benevolence, seven days'
grace, to transmit him by letter a " self-damning confession "
for the columns of the Times newspaper, or the alternative of
my immediately becoming the subject of a criminal informa-
22 APPENDIX.
tion. I defy his threats, and in a few weeks I receive a com-
munication from Mr. Lyell, by which I am given to under-
stand that Dr. Buckland undertakes to arrange the matter,
upon my making some sort of verbal apology. I reject the
overture, and the next thing I learn is, that there lies in Mr.
Hawkins's solicitor's hands a letter written by Dr. Buckland,
advising that the action be dropped altogether. It is hardly
necessary to add, that upon the perusal of the above document,
the materials I had collected for the purpose of substantiating
my opinion were laid upon the shelf, where they have ever
since quietly reposed.
Before quitting this subject, I must remark, that the inter-
ference of the distinguished Geological Professor at the Ox-
ford University, in the transaction above detailed, has alone
involved the necessity for the appearance of so much of this
Appendix as relates to the case of ^ Hawkins versus Charles-
worth.' The part which he has taken upon himself, has giv-
en an air of importance to that, which I might otherwise have
regarded as a mere piece of chicanery, aiming under a threat
of legal proceedings, at a particular purpose, and about the
ultimate consequences of which a moment's consideration
would be thrown away. Dr. Buckland, hearing of the cir-
cumstances, was of course at liberty to enter into communi-
cation upon the subject with Mr. Hawkins, and if he felt so
disposed, to supply him with the resources for carrying on
the action. The step taken by the Professor wherein I con-
ceive he has laid himself open to animadversion, was the as-
suming certain consequences towards myself, as the defend-
ant in the action, and the conveying to me the nature of that
assumption through the agency of other parties. If Dr. Buck-
land thought I stood in need of his counsel, the direct and
only legitimate course for him to follow, was that of commu-
nicating with me in person or by letter ; in which case, either
as the President of a scientific body to which I have the ho-
nour to belong, or upon the strength of occasional intercourse
which had previously arisen between us, he could, without
in any way committing himself, have tendered me such ad-
vice as he might consider the occasion to warrant. I do not
say that the object he had in view was illegitimate, but I com-
plain of the machinery put in motion, by which it was hoped
that object might be secured.
The sounding the alarm-bell in so many quarters has been
followed, as a natural consequence, by the question being
put, why have not Professor Buckland's anticipations been
realized, and what has been the nature of the compromise ?
There is no occasion for me to hint at the manner in which
APPENDIX. 23
this most awkward interrogation has been responded to, but
so far as it may lie in my power, I must guard against its
going forth to that circle in which the journal under my
direction is supported, that at present I owe anything to the
intercession of Dr. Buckland, or to the clemency of his pro-
tege, Mr. Thomas Hawkins. I have been let alone, because
the entrapping a person into the unguarded expression of an
opinion, happily does not involve the condition of the sen-
timent conveyed by that expression having been unguardedly
anived at ; and because my pseudo-antagonist, upon being
foiled in his calculations, was much too wide aw^ake to bum
his fingers any farther.
The commencement of proceedings against me in another
quarter, of a tendency far more to be dreaded than any mea-
sures of a legal description, and upon the consideration of
which I have next to enter, has left me no alternative but that
of coming forward and openly showing that T have not been
the party to fight shy of this contest ; but that hitherto, so far
as it has proceeded, I have met in a straightforward and un-
compromising manner, the disgraceful litigation with which I
have been threatened. If by reason of this publication,
and after the interval of time which has now elapsed, Mr.
Hawkins should be so ill-advised as to go before a jury, in
the hope of getting a farthing damages, for a pretended in-
jury which he himself had most assuredly a hand in bring-
ing about, it will be found that instead of simply pleading
7iot guilty to the assumed libel, I have placed a justification
on record. Having done this, unless the question shall come
to a legal decision, and unless it shall then be satisfactorily
shown that there were no grounds for the belief which I
have been led to entertain, I occupy, in relation to the whole
affair, let its merits be what they may, a position, which
ought in common justice to protect me from even the whisper
of an injurious imputation,'
Since the appearance of the first 22 pages of this appendix
(a period of two months having now elapsed) I have received
' I avail myself of this opportunity to acknowledge the warm interest
which from the first commencement of the proceedings, has been taken in
the case by my solicitor, Mr. Richardson, a Fellow of the Geological So-
ciety, and a valued correspondent of the Magazine of Natural History.
Immediately upon the issue of the writ, he sent to secure for me the ser-
vices of Mr. Sergeant Wilde, but that eminent member of the bar had al-
ready been retained by the opposite party.
•24 APPENDIX.
but one communication disputing the accuracy of any state-
ment which I have put foi-ward ; and as in this instance the
writer wishes me to correct the misrepresentation of which he
complains, I cannot adopt a fairer course than to make that
correction in his own words. In so doing I think it as well
to remark, that before the publication of the appendix T held
no communication respecting it with any one of the parties
therein alluded to. I felt satisfied that I could furnish a
faithful relation of such circumstances in the history, as in-
volved a question of memory, and I therefore preferred to
risk the chance of the acciu*acy of any part of my statement
being subsequently impugned, rather than to expose myself
to the being placed in the position of having to bring forward
details under a protest against their publication ; a position
which would have been in the highest degree painful, if, as in
the present instance, such a protest had come to me from a
party whose share in the transaction had been irreproachable,
and altogether accidental.
The letter is from the gentleman of whom I have spoken
as having been the bearer of certain opinions or intentions
expressed by Dr. Buckland, in relation to the action com-
menced against me by Mr. Thomas Hawkins.
No. 13.
" Your statement of the interview at the Geological Society, in page 21
" of your Appendix, is calculated to give an erroneous impression of what
" took place ; for though the Doctor certainly did say, in an off-hand man-
" ner, " OA, if Hawkins won't prosecute^ I will,''^ or words to that effect, yet
" his manner of saying it did not convey to my mind anything like a deli-
" berate intention of doing so, hut it seemed merely expressive of his indig-
" nation at the charge brought against Hav^^kins, and his conviction of its
" want of foundation. I never therefore meant you to understand that
" ' Dr. Buckland now intended to make himself a party to the action,' or
" that ' he had positively declared his intention to this effect ;' and I shall
" he obliged if you will correct this misrepresentation in your next No."
From the confidence which is supposed to reign among
the guests, at a private dinner-table, one of the party may
think himself hardly dealt with, if the opinions, which on such
an occasion he unguardedly expresses, are afterwards arrayed
in judgment against him before the bar of a judicial tribunal ;
but at a public conversazione, such as those which take place
after the evening meetings of the Geological Society, we do
not expect ' oft-hand' speeches to be made by the President,
when the subject under discussion happens to be of so serious
a character as an action for hbel, relating to evidence pub-
lished bv a select committee of the House of Commons.
. APPENDIX. 25
However sensible I may feel of the unjustifiable nature of the
weapons which have been turned against myself, I think it
will be seen, when this Appendix shall have been brought to
a conclusion, that I have, in no instance, been forced to make
good my own story, by affixing a construction to words, either
spoken or written, which they were not intended to convey.
Had I upon the occasion referred to, been given to understand
that Dr. Buckland's was an off-hand speech, I certainly
would not have opposed it to the contents of the document,
No. 12, with which, at present, it so unhappily clashes. As
it respects that document, by which it seems that a letter of
Dr. Buckland's, advising the abandoning the action, was lying
in the hands of the solicitors for the prosecution, (Messrs.
Stevens, Wilkinson and Satchell, of Queen Street, Cheapside),
it fell into my hands without the knowledge of the writer.
Circumstances however, which it is unnecessary to mention,
made me feel justified in making the use I did of it. Now
without enquiring as to whether or not it would have been a
feather in the cap of the President of the Geological Society,
to have aided and abetted Mr. Hawkins in prosecuting the
Editor of a scientific journal, the said journal having for its
sole object the promotion of Natural History, and the
said prosecution, according to Dr. Buckland's account, in-
volving the ruin of the party about to be prosecuted, — every
one I am sure must feel how desirable it would be for the re-
putation of the Doctor, that he should not appear to have
written one thing and spoken another. If what Mr. Haw-
kins stated to the writer of the document No. 12, was correct,
(as there seems every reason to suppose it was) and Dr. Buck-
land had advised him to drop the action, I conceive it to be
in that case, a moral impossibility for Dr. Buckland to have
pretended to entertain the intention which he did, without
being fully conscious that he was uttering a threat, diametri-
cally opposed to his real sentiments. When Mr. in
apologising for this speech, refers it to Dr. Buckland's indig-
nation at the charge brought against Mr. Hawkins, he surely
forgets that it was not I who charged Mr. Hawkins with unfair
conduct in the British-Museum affair. It was the Trustees
of that establishment themselves, and subsequently a select
committee of the House of Commons, who brought the matter
forward : all that I did was to express a belief in the charges
so brought being correctly founded, the evidence which led
me to entertain that belief, being before the public in a printed
form.
Dr. Buckland sent me, through my friend Mr. Thomas
Young, an invitation to breakfast Avith him on the 18th of
2$ APPENDIX.
February 1839, that being the day on which I subsequently
received from the Rev. Mr. Forshall the communication No.
11. In reply to this invitation I sent the following note : —
No. 14.
Dear Sir,
My friend, Mr. Thomas Young, tells me that in consequence
of his calling to consult you respecting certain legal proceedings pending
against myself for words spoken at his dinner-table, that you have proposed
we should both breakfast with you to-morrow.* In reluctantly declining
your invitation, I trust that you will not impute my so doing to any disin-
clination to effect an amicable arrangement of the matter in dispute, but
as I suppose you will be one of the witnesses opposed to me on the trial, I
do not think it would be expedient for me to enter upon a discussion of the
subject with you previously to the action coming on.
I remain dear Sir,
Yours very faithfully,
EDWARD CHARLESWORTH.
Rev. Dr. Buckland.
Between the dates of my receiving this invitation to be a
guest at Dr. Buckland's breakfast-table, and the Doctor's de-
claration that he wouldbemyprosecutorif Mr. Hawkins would
not, I had committed no crime except that of declining to
compromise the action, by retracting an opinion which I could
only retract at the expense of a violation of moral principle.
When I commenced this Appendix, as the action, though
virtually, was not legally abandoned, I had resolved not to
advance anything which might be construed into an attempt
to prejudice my adversary's cause ; but a reconsideration of
the whole subject, has induced me to change this determi-
nation. As the case now stands, it wears an aspect which
is, perhaps, hardly just to all the parties concerned, and I
therefore think it the better course, to remove at once the
mystery which hangs over the affair, by frankly stating some
of the reasons which have led me to form a conclusion so
essentially at variance with the spirit of the resolution en-
tered on the minutes of the British Museum, by the Honor-
able Board of Trustees. Had I done this immediately upon
my being served with the writ, and before the time arrived
for my prosecutor to lay his case before a Jury, this step
might, perhaps, have afforded Mr. Hawkins some reasonable
ground of complaint ; but after the annoyance to which I have
been subjected, and as twelve months have gone by since the
' Dr. Buckland's interference did not originate with this call of Mr.
Young's, but some time previously to it.
APPENDIX. 27
first commencement of proceedings against me, I think now
I need entertain no scruples on the score of delicacy to the
feelings of my opponent. But in thus going farther than I
originally proposed, I must again remind the readers of this
Appendix, that the placing this history before them involves no
act of aggression on my part. The measure throughout is solely
one of self protection. I find myself in a position, which
no exercise of prudence or fore-sight could possibly have
guarded me against ; one into which I have been forced by the
treachery of parties, who stand the foremost in the ranks of
those who are at work in the field of philosophical research. If
this position bring with it the necessity for my explaining the
relation in which I have been placed to the President of the
Geological Society, and that explanation be injurious
either to him or to Mr. Hawkins, 1 have this to urge in its
justification. —
That an assumed case of unfair dealing, in a purchase made
by the British Museum of some objects in Natural History,
having been investigated by a Committee of the House of
Commons, and the evidence relating thereunto published in
the usual manner, the opinions expressed in relation to that'
investigation, must either be favourable or unfavourable to-
wards the party suspected of the fraud. — That having been
led, in private conversation, to state my own opinion to be
on the unfavourable side, the commencing an action against
me under the idea that I would retract that opinion, rather
than subject myself to a harassing and expensive prosecution,
was an act of tyranny, which, if legally^ was not morally,
justifiable, and which T believe to be without precedent, in
the history of even the law of libel.
Imagine for a moment the question divested of the fearful
array of technicalities and legal quibbles, which, like a swann
of evil sprites, hover round the head of the victim entangled
in the meshes of the code of libel, and nothing can be more
simple than the data required to set at rest the matter in
dispute.
Mr. Hawkins sells to the Trustees of the British Museum
the fossil skeleton of a reptile, for 200 guineas ; the Trustees
having resolved upon its purchase, in consequence of the
strong recommendation of many naturalists of eminence, and
after they (the Trustees) have had a lithographic drawing of
the specimen in question put before them. Subsequently to
the purchase being effected, and the fossil deposited in the
national collection, certain portions represented as genuine
in the lithograph, are found to be fictitious. Now it is unre-
servedly admitted, that no intimation of the real condition
•28 APPExNDlX.
of the fossil remain was given to the Trustees as the purcha-
sers, or to the officer at the head of the Natural- History de-
partment, Mr. Konig; and this being the case, the whole
thing hinges upon whether there was or was not a full and
explicit understanding between the seller and the valuers,
as to the precise extent of the manufactured parts ; and the
affirmative of that proposition being assumed, whether or not
the purchasers ought to have been informed that the litho-
graphic print submitted to their inspection, was not an honest
representation of the original.
Waiving for the present the discussion upon the two-hun-
dred-guinea specimen, I will commence by referring to page
438, vol. 2 of the Parliamentary Report, where I find the fol-
lowing British Museum Minute.
No. 15.
[MINUTE of the General Meeting, dated July 12th 1834.]
" A Letter, dated July 9tli, was read from Mr. Thomas Hawkins, offer-
ing to the Trustees his collection of fossil remains of Ichthyosauri and
Plesiosauri, for any sum of money at which they might be valued by Pro-
fessor Buckland of Oxford ; Mr. Hawkins stated that this offer included
all the articles engraved in his published work on these fossils."
The next documents bearing upon the subject, which I se-
lect, are two letters of Dr. Buckland's, one published in the
Parliamentary Report, and the other by Mr. Hawkins himself,
in an appendix to his work.
No. 16.
LETTER from the Rev. Dr. Buckland to the Trustees of the British
Museum.
London, 12 July, 1834.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
I have this day carefully looked over the collection of the
remains of Sauri offered for sale to the British Museum by Mr. Hawkins,
and have had the valuable assistance of Mr. Mantell, in estimating every
article separately. After carefully revising our notes, taken on separate
lists, vdthout communication with one another, we found our estimates of
the whole to coincide within 5l. ; they are as below :
All the specimens engraved in Mr. Hawkins's publication (substituting
a large Plesiosaurus, now in Adelaide-street, for plate 4, the subject of
which has been sold), we value at 1,025Z. The remainder of his collection
of Sauri, not published in his work, but which we also strongly recommend
to be purchased for the Museum, we value at 225/. Total value, 1 , 250/.
In this estimate we do not include the cases of wood in which some of
the specimens are framed ; these are to be paid for by the Trustees, at a
separate valuation to be made by two persons, one of whom is to be ap-
pointed by the Trustees, and the other by Mr. Hawkins ; with reference to
their umpire, in case of a difference of opinion as to the value.
I have the honour, he,
(Signed) WM. BUCKLAND.
APPENDIX. 29
The above information lias this clay been communicated to Mr. Hawkins
under the joint signatures of Mr. Mantell and myself.
No. 17.
The Rev. Prof. Buckland, to Thos. Hawkins, Esq.
Salopian Coffee House, 12th July, 1834.
I beg to return your catalogue, and with it enclose the amount
of the valuation by Mr. Mantell and myself of your entire (the Editor)'
collection of Remains of Sauri. I have sent a duplicate of this valuation
to the Trustees of the British Museum, inclosed to the Secretaiy, the Rev.
J, Forshall, and through whom your future communications with the
Trustees will have to pass.
I expect a Committee of the Trustees will make application to the
Treasury as soon as a new Government is formed ; till then you will pro-
bably hear no further of the matter.
I have much satisfaction in telling you that when Mr. Mantell and my-
self compared our separate valuations of the collections engraved in your
book, and also of those included in your addition to them, our estimates of
the total valuation of each did not differ ten pounds, and that the balance
of the difference was given entirely in your favour.
I trust by the time I come again to London to find the Sauri all lodged
safely in the magnificent gallery of the Museum, which is so worthy to
receive them.
I now pass on to a portion of the evidence given by Mr.
Konig in his examination before the Committee.
No. 18.
Charles Konig, Esq. called in and examined.
When was it first discovered that some of these fossil skeletons were
artificial, and not entirely genuine ? — I discovered it when the large spe-
cimen was put up, after the case was finished. I had no opportunity to
examine it sooner.
Had you been consulted, should you have thought it your duty to make
a close examination before purchasing? — Certainly.
Do you know whether Dr. Buckland and Mr. Mantell ascertained that
part was artificial? — Dr. Buckland has said he knew it was artificial to a
great extent. Had I been present, if Dr. Buckland had told me the spe-
cimen was not genuine, I should have considered it my duty to have ex-
amined more closely into it; but if Dr. Buckland and Mr. Mantell had
said, "all this is genuine," I should perhaps, in deference to their superior
knowledge, have given way, and fallen into what I consider the same mis-
take.
You do not mean by that to imply anything affecting the moral charac-
ter of Mr. Hawkins the vender, or Dr. Buckland and Mr. Mantell, the
parties on whose recommendation the purchase was made, the Trustees as
the purchasers, or any of the officers of the Museum? — Certainly not.
It could only effect the character of the person who made the reparation,
if he had endeavoured to conceal the restoration. If I had been told the
specimen was genuine, I might myself have given credit to the assertion.
* What do the words " the Editor" mean here ? — E. C.
30 APPENDIX.
After the circumstance became known, did you make any report to the
Trustees?— I first wrote to Dr. Buckland and Mr. Man tell, informing
them of the discovery I had made. I have a copy of that letter, which I
can produce ; and I afterwards thought it my duty to report the fact to
the Trustees, and that report is also in existence.
Can you produce a copy of that report ? — I have no copy, but the report
itself can be produced.
What was the date of that report ? — I cannot charge my memory.
Have you had opportunities of examining large collections of Saurian
remains from the lias formation ? — I have seen most of the large collec-
tions.
You are aware that it is a very tender and friable formation in which
the bones are found ? — Yes.
Do you think, from the opportunity you have had of examining other
collections, that the specimens of Mr. Hawkins are restored in a greater
degree than is generally the case ? — That is my impression.
In selling such articles, is it not usual and fair to specify the artificial
reparations that have been made ? — I should have done so.
Were these specimens sold to the Museum as perfect specimens of Sau-
rian remains ? — I do not know ; I have not seen the report.
You received them as perfect remains ? — I received them merely as re-
mains.
Had you any reason to believe, when you received them, and previous to
your examination, that any portion was artificial ? — I never gave it a
thought. As soon as I examined them I was sure of it ; but not till then.
Restorations were acknowledged by Mr. Hawkins in his publication, such
as the restoration of the right paddle.
Were the whole of the restorations marked in the plate you have alluded
to .?— No.
In that plate was the tail of the specimen introduced ? — No. When I
began to compare the specimens with the plates, I found the Ichthyosaurus
plate 4, was wanting, which is one of the most interesting specimens, hav-
ing the scapulcs in their proper situation. I was alarmed at it, and wrote
to Mr. Forshall, who informed me the specimen had been sold by Mr.
Hawkins ; but another had been substituted, and that specimen turned out
to be the worst of all in point of restoration.
What authority have you for stating that ? — The specimen was sold be-
fore the purchase by the Museum was made. Had the price been less,
this would not much signify.
At page 443 of the Report, there is a copy of another Bri-
tish-Museum Minute, in which an allusion is made by Mr.
Konig to the specimen substituted by the valuers in the
place of plate 4 ; and a portion of which Minute I here ex-
tract.
No. 19.
MINUTE of Committee, dated 14th March, 1835.
At a Committee :
Mr. Konig gave it as his opinion, that the colouring of the re-
stored parts of Mr. Hawkins's large Ichthyosaurus^ so as to distinguish them
APPENDIX. 31
from those which are really osseous, would be preferable to a complete abra-
sure of the plaster of Paris.
The Trustees directed that this method should be adopted with regard
to all the restored parts of Mr. Hawkins's specimens.
Mr. Konig suggested that the vacant space in the case, above and below
,the tail of this large specimen, might be filled up by the introduction of
two other framed specimens from the same collection. He likewise sug-
gested that another specimen, 14 feet in length, which was made up, and
entirely worthless, should be excluded from the gallery.
The above extracts from the Parliamentary Report, put us
in possession of the following facts. That on the 9th of
July, 1834, Mr. Hawkins wrote to the Trustees of the British
Museum, making them a tender of his collection, and stating
in the letter that his offer included all the samians figured in
his work. That on the 12th of the same month (only three
days after the date of this offer), the Trustees appoint two
parties (Drs. Buckland and Mantell) to value the collection.
That the valuers, in making their estimate, find that the sub-
ject of plate 4 in Mr. Hawkins's work, had been sold, but
they substitute for the missing specimen, a large unfigured
Plesiosaurus. This is followed by the evidence of the officer
at the head of the Natural-History department, Mr. Konig,
who discovers that the Plesiosaurus so substituted, is made up
of plaster of Paris, to such an extent as to justify his recom-
mending to the Trustees that it be excluded from the gallery
as " utterly worthless ;" while on the other hand, he informs
the Parliamentary Committee that the missing specimen ap-
pears by the engraving to have been one of the most inte-
resting in the whole collection.
Now it is quite clear from this, that Mr. Hawkins stated
that which was untrue, in his letter to the Trustees of July
9th, 1834, or else that within three days after sending in that
letter, and before the valuation could be effected, he privately
sold the subject of one of his plates. The history of this
specimen, in connection with the evidence given as to the
real state of the one which the valuers took as an equivalent
for it, has always appeared to me the most criminatory fea-
ture in the whole transaction. Nor have I any reason to
believe that in the archives of the British Museum, there will
be found any unpublished document which shall modify the
tenour of this part of the evidence.
But even if there be such a document, I am prosecuted for
an opinion founded upon certain evidence which appears in
a published Parliamentary Report, and upon that evidence
alone I presume a verdict must be obtained against me. I
take it for granted that Dr. Buckland, when upon his oath
32 APPENDIX.
in the witness-box, will swear that he was privy to the condi-
tion of the specimen described by Mr. Konig as *' utterly worth-
less," but how then will he acquit himself upon a cross-exami-
nation as to the wording of the valuation, drawn up by him-
self and Dr. Mantell } Fortunately for me, the critical con-
struction of language does not constitute an element for the
consideration of the jury. In determining upon their verdict,
they are directed to receive words, whether relating to the
libel itself, or to the evidence by which the libel is defended,
in their ordinary acceptation. Now, the valuers tell the
Trustees, that in drawing up their estimate, they substitute a
large unfigured Plesiosaurus for a figured one which Mr.
Mr. Hawkins had sold. Unless they meant it to be under-
stood that the one substituted was equivalent to the one
which was missing, w^hat possible reason could they have for
60 wording their valuation ?
Upon referring to the British-Museum Minute of the 12th
of July 1834, I find a passage which bears in a very important
manner upon this part of the evidence. It is as follows :
No. 20.
" The Trustees requested Dr. Buckland to send the valuation which he
and Mr. Mantell might put upon these organic remains, to the Secretary
so soon as it was made, and to distinguish in their valuation, the part of
which engravings are given in Mr. Hawkins's work, from the other Sau-
rian remains."
Dr. Buckland receives fi'om the Trustees explicit directions
to put, conjointly with Dr. Mantell, one price upon the en-
graved Saurians, and another upon those not engraved. When
therefore, the valuers found the series of figured Sauiians
deficient, the plain course for them to follow was to word their
estimate thus : —
All the Saurian remains engraved in Mr. Hawkins's work, minus the
subject of plate 4, which has been sold, we value at . All the Saurian
remains in Mr. Hawkins's collection which are not engraved in his work,
we value at . Total value £1250.
Now if Dr. Buckland, when in the witness-box, states that
he did know the substituted Plesiosaurus to be comparatively
worthless, from its being in part plaster of Paris, and that he
did not mean, in taking it from the series of unfigured ones and
classing it with those which were figured, that the word * sub-
stitute'' was to imply ' in lieu of,' he must then explain not
only why he worded his valuation in a manner altogether ir-
APPENDIX. 33
regular, but why he went directly counter to the directions
given him by the Trustees.
If words are to be used in their every-day acceptation, the
premises will not admit of any other conclusion, than that the
Trustees were to understand the substituted Plesiosaurus
equivalent to the one which had been previously disposed of.
Dr. Buckland, on the part of Mr. Hawkins, makes no at-
tempt to explain this matter of " substitution," and this being
the case, I cannot admit the apology which has been offered
for the speech at the evening conversazione at the Geological
Society. The doctor must have been perfectly conscious, that
any one who took the pains to scrutinize the published evi-
dence, could not do otherwise than form an unfavourable im-
pression of the nature of the transaction ; and consequently,
his threat to back Mr. Hawkins in the prosecution, could not
be intended merely to convey an expression of his indigna-
tion at the opinion I had formed. I am disposed to think Dr.
Buckland knew that in all probability this warlike declaration
would be conveyed to me, and following in the steps of his
friend at Sharpham Park, he tried the experiment of making
a parade of his intentions, little suspecting his protege would
be so destitute of worldly wisdom as to betray the singularly
original method adopted by his patron in carrying those in-
tentions into effect.
Before I proceed to the letter of Dr. Buckland, in which
he assures the Secretary of the British Museum that he knew
the full extent of the fabricated parts, at the time of the
valuation being made, I shall quote from the Report one or
two passages which refer to the deceptive effect produced
by means of the plaster of Paris, and to the unreasonableness
of the sum which the public have paid for the collection.
Mr. James de Carle Sowerby, who, from the relation in
which he stands to English Geologists, certainly may be
supposed willing to say as much as he honestly could, in
favour of Dr. Buckland's valuation, gives the following evi-
dence. '
No. 21.
" Are you acquainted at all with those fossils in the Museum, which are
called Hawkins's fossils? — Yes, I have seen them several times; I did
know some little of them before they came to the Museum.
^ " I have been induced to give up my time towards forwarding the im-
mediate objects of the leading geologists of England, by yielding them the
best assistance my humble talent would permit." (Mr. Sowerby, ' Mag.
Nat. Hist.,' vol. 3, new series, p. 419.)
34 APPENDIX.
Are you prepared to give any opinion upon their value ? — It always
appeared to me that above £1000 was a very high price for them, because
a similar specimen or specimens, not very far inferior to the best of them,
have been sold for 100 or 120 guineas.
Are you aware that some portions of those specimens have been disco-
vered to be artificial ? — I was aware of that before they came to the Mu-
seum, that a considerable portion was manufactured in plaster. It cer-
tainly required some skill to do that, but I do not think it enhances the
real value of the things.
Were those parts that were manufactured so skilfully done as to deceive
the eye, and apparently with the intention to deceive ? — I cannot speak as
to the intention, the effect was to deceive the eye. I certainly was deceived
by them when I saw some of them in the Adelaide Gallery."
The following extract will show the opinion of Mr. Konig,
the officer to whose care the Geological department of the
Museum is especially entrusted.
No. 22.
" After full examination of the remains, do you think that the collection
is worth £1 ,260 ? — It is a matter of opinion. My opinion was, that it was
rather too much, and that is the opinion of some other gentlemen of my
acquaintance ; but I never stated that publicly ; I had no reason to do it.
Can you favour the Committee with a statement of your opinion as to
the sum which you believe the Trustees could now obtain for this collec-
tion if they were inclined or enabled to dispose of the same ? — I am per-
fectly unable to do that ; and I suppose nobody can do so.
Did you believe that the sum of £500 had been asked and given [by the
Museum] for one of the specimens? — I certainly stated that.
If you then believed that the sum of £500 had been asked and given
for one of the specimens, do you conceive that the sum of £1,250 was out
of proportion to the assumed value of the general collection in its entirety ?
— I should not acquiesce in the reasonableness of £500 for that specimen,
but I may be mistaken.
When you were called upon to see the collection, had you any reason to
suspect that any part of it was artificially composed ? — When I saw it, it
was at a distance. The coach-house where it was kept was full of this
collection, and other things with it ; and it was impossible to go quite
near it. But even had I been so close to it as to be able to examine into
the genuineness of the specimen, it would never have occurred to me. I
did not go for that purpose.
Have you seen the plates of the great specimens of the Ichthyosauri^
which were published before the specimens themselves were purchased by
the Trustees of the British Museum ? — I have seen them ; but I did not
examine them or read the book at all.
Will you examine the plate of the large specimen alluded to, and point
out to the Committee such parts of it as that plate indicates to be artificial
in the real specimen {the Plate being shown to the Witness) ? — In this plate
the right fore paddle is represented as a restoration.
The right paddle not being shaded, but simply engraved in outline, indi-
cates that that part is not real in the specimen purchased ? — Yes.
Now, in the specimen actually purchased, are there not some parts arti-
ficial, which in this drawing appear to be genuine ? — Yes ; there are some
such parts artificial.
APPENDIX. 35
' Will you state to the Committee, from the drawing before you, what
parts in the specimen purchased are artificial besides the right paddle, and
which were not therefore honestly represented in the drawing before you ?
— With the exception of about 13 of them, all the processes of the verte-
hr<B and several ribs are artificial.
These 13 processes of the vertebra, which you have just described,
appear upon the drawing to be a part of the genuine remains i* — They are
not represented as restorations.
And these processes, which are artificial, are also represented as genuine ?
— Yes ; all the rest are plaster. .The lias surrounding those vertebral pro-
cesses which I have mentioned as genuine, is also natural ; namely a patch
of about 20 inches by 4, is real lias ; the rest was made up of plaster
of Paris with lamp-black, to imitate lias, with cracks and rifts passing
through the bones ; but I do not say it was done with a view to impose
upon anybody, or that either Dr. Buckland or Mr. Mantell did mistake
that portion for lias.
Suppose you had been called upon to purchase a specimen, an engraving
of which had been shown to you, separating the artificial from the natural
parts, should you have been led to suspect that other parts than those
actually represented as artificial, were really artificial ? — I might perhaps
have agreed in opinion with the two gentlemen who made the valuation,
but I am not certain of it.
That is to say, you would have been misled by a drawing which pre-
tended to distinguish between the natural and artificial portions of the spe-
cimens purchased ? — Yes."
The following two letters from Mr. Hawkins to Dr. Buck-
land, I extract from the appendix to Mr. Hawkins's work.
No. 23.
Clifibrd Street, Bond Street, June 25, 1834.
I received your most condescending favour this morning,
soon after my arrival in town, for which I am exceedingly obliged and
grateful. The zeal you evidence to serve me overpowers me, and I beg to
coincide with every wish that you express and every suggestion. I can
appreciate the delicate motive which causes you to decline the proposition
made you of being sole referee, and I shall be very happy to associate
Mr. Mantell (or any other gentleman you may please to name) with your-
self upon this occasion, and rest perfectly content whatever be the result —
proud in having my labours numbered and valued by persons so infinitely
well calculated to the task. Feeling the importance of this business,
which you so generously undertake, and convinced that its speedy resolu-
tion is of moment to the honour of our country and the interests of science,
I hesitate not to place myself entirely at your command, and to follow
implicitly your directions.
P.S. I shall remain in town that I may the better follow your instruc-
tions, which I await, anxiously. i "'' -^ ";
The Rev. Prof. Buckland. , ^^^,^;^;
No. 24.^^^^^^^l^;
Clifford Street, July 9, 1834.
Most anxious to effect the final disposition of my Collection
in the Museum, and conscious of the objections that a large sum of mo-
36 APPENDIX.
ney for such kinds of purposes afford the economical — narrow-minded,—
I nave after much reflection set apart for the Museum only those specimens
of my Collection which are of primary import to the puhlic— all the Sauri^
the subjects of my plates, and those of my general Collection, which are
really co-adjutors, and really important to the Museum.
And availing myself of your kind advice, I have sent through
Mr. Forshall my proposals to the Trustees.
And I have sent the Trustees, with my work, a list of all the
Saun^ &c. &c., that I propose for the Museum, a copy of which I retain
for you, with the several prices as well as I remember that the articles have
cost me, so that there may he no manner oj mistake anywhere, and as little
trouble in the estimation as possible.
And, moreover, I take the liberty to express how much gratified I
feel that you and you alone determine the sum that I am to receive for
that portion of my Collection which goes to the Museum, as I have not
only every confidence in your judgment, but am sure that you will add
the more importance to the problem which you condescend to solve, alone.
The Rev. Prof. Buckland.
I have quoted from the published Report, evidence prov-
ing the deceptive effect produced by the plaster of Paris, and
also, that in the opinion of some highly competent judges,
the money value of the collection was over-rated. It now re-
mains for me to put the readers of this Appendix in posses-
sion of the document which relieved Mr. Hawkins from the
imputation of " fraud or collusion," or which, at any rate, re-
lieved the Trustees from the necessity of pressing the inves-
tigation. This document is in the form of a letter from Dr.
Buckland, addressed to the secretary, the Rev. J. Forshall.
I here give it verbatim, with only the addition of numerals to
the several paragraphs.
No. 25.
Letter from the Rev. Dr. Buckland to the Rev. J. Forshall.
Oxford, 12 March, 1835.
My dear Sir,
1
In consequence of a letter from Mr. Konig, I called
last week at the British Museum to examine the amount of restorations
in plaster, of certain parts of some of the specimens purchased last sum-
mer of Mr. Hawkins ; and as some misapprehension has gone abroad upon
this subject, I feel it due both to Mr. Hawkins and myself to request you
on my behalf to submit the following statement to the Trustees.
2
That Mr. Hawkins offered the specimens to the Museum at a
price to be valued by myself, it being understood that I was to have the
assistance of Mr. Mantell in the valuation ;
3
That Mr. Mantell and myself made our estimates separately, and
APPENDIX. ■ 37
on comparing our lists found them to agree within £20 on the value of
the whole collection :
4
That Mr. Hawkins never professed that there were no restora-
tions of some defective portions of some of the skeletons ; on the contrary,
I was aware of what he had been doing : many of the specimens have
for three or four years past been under my observation, and I have often
remonstrated against a practice which I could not prevent. On more
careful examination of the specimens, I find the amount of these restora-
tions to be much less than I had supposed ; and were I again to value
the collection, I should fix a larger rather than a smaller price on it.
5
The principal restorations are in the largest specimen, which was
valued only at £200 or 200 guineas ; to obtain such a specimen in a per-
fect state is all but impossible.
6
There has been, therefore, neither fraud nor collusion on the part
of Mr. Hawkins, nor want of information on my part, as to the fact of
reparation and restoration of certain broken portions of the skeletons ;
and provided these restored parts be pointed out (as they assuredly ought
to be) by a different colour from the bones which they now resemble, no
one can possibly be deluded ; the specimens will be much more intelligible
to the unscientific observer than if the restorations had not been made.
7
As erroneous statements have appeared in the papers respecting
this subject, you are welcome to make any use you think proper of this
communication.
8
Mr. Hawkins would have done well had he indicated the amount
of his restorations in his published plates; but this is a matter which
afi*ects the purchasers of his book, and not the Trustees of the Museum,
who, being in possession of the specimens, can so readily remedy the
existing evil by marking with a diflferent colour the restorations.
Believe me to be, my dear Sir,
Always truly your's,
W. BUCKLAND,
Rev. J. Forshall, &c. &c.
If Dr. Buckland, when he sat down to write the above let-
ter, could have looked forward to the present action, had he
wished a verdict to be given in my favour, he could not have
strung together a set of propositions so ruinous to the cause
of Mr. Hawkins, as those which are contained in this epistle to
Mr. Forshall. Should the action come to trial, para-
graphs 2 and 3 of this letter supply the important admissions,
firsts that Mr. Hawkins offered to sell his collection without
naming a price, provided his friend Dr. Buckland might be
allowed to value it ; and, secondly, that two valuers being
appointed, both forai as nearly as possible the same estimate
38 APPENDIX.
of the money value of the specimens. The gi*eat importance
of the latter point, in my justification of the Hbel, depends
upon this ; — that Dr. Buckland, professing to know of the full
extent of the plaster of Paris, arrives at the same valuation
as Dr. Mantell who did not know of it. That Dr. Mantell
had the modelling concealed from him is a legitimate inference
from the fact, that he, as co-valuer, puts his signature to the
written estimate sent to Mr. Hawkins, but allows Dr. Buck-
land to stand alone, when subsequently vindicating Mr. Haw-
kins from the imputation of unfair deahng. If Dr. Mantell
could honestly have joined Dr. Buckland in that vindication,
he was bound by every principle of justice and honour not to
remain silent. Not only does he refrain from joining in the
exculpatory declaration, but it is virtually admitted in the
course of the enquiry, that he was kept in the dark as to the
manufactiuing process which had been going forward. If the
reader will turn back to the extract at page 30, he will find
M. Konig stating to the Parliamentary Committee, that imme-
diately upon his detecting the plaster of Paris, he wrote and
informed both the valuers of the discovery he had made ; —
then at page 29 he is asked, " Do you know whether Dr.
Buckland and Mr. Mantell ascertained that part was artifi-
cial } " to which he replies, " Dr. Buckland has said he knew
it was artificial to a great extent," tacitly admitting that Dr.
Mantell would not make the same assertion ; and on another
occasion, the same witness remarks, " According to the state-
ment of "one" of the gentlemen who made the valuation, the
restoration was not discovered by me."
Now, if it be true that Dr. Buckland, knew what Mr. Haw-
kins " had been doing" from his previous intimate acquaint-
ance with the collection, and from his having remonstrated
with Mr. Hawkins on the subject of the modelling, he must also
have known that Dr. Mantell, engaged at Brighton in active
professional practice, could not have formed this intimacy with
the specimens, and that he would require to have the modelled
parts pointed out to him. The most simple method of doing
this, in the case of the figured specimens, was, for Mr. Hawkins
to take a pen, or a chalk pencil, and to mark upon a set of his
lithographic prints, those parts, which, to use the words of a
member of the Committee, were not honest representations
of the originals. So far as the valuers were concerned, this
plan would have obviated all suspicion of intentional decep-
tion, and why it was not done I leave for Mr. Hawkins or Dr.
Buckland to explain. As no clew of this sort was put before
the valuers, and as Dr. Buckland says nothing about Dr. Man-
tell having any knowledge of the restorations, when he refers
APPENDIX. 39
to the close agreement in their valuation, he only condemns
himself, instead of benefitting Mr. Hawkins.
When Dr. Buckland says in paragraph 4, that Mr. Haw-
kins never professed there were no restorations, he makes
use of an evasion so paltry, that every one of honourable
feeling must blush to see him have recourse to it. The
charge against Mr. Hawkins is not that he professed there
were no restorations, but that he pretended in his plates to
distinguish between the real and manufactured parts of the
skeletons, by indicating some of the restorations, without in-
dicating the whole.
In paragraph 4, Dr. Buckland also states that he finds the
restorations to be less than he had supposed. Of all the unfor-
tunate admissions in the letter intended to serve Mr. Haw-
kins, this is the most fatal and short-sighted. — It lets out the
important fact, that Dr. Buckland came to no understanding
with the vender, as to the extent of the modelled portions ;—
that he did not even take the trouble to put a question to him
upon the subject, but, that in setting the extravagant price of
twelve hundred guineas upon the collection, he had nothing
more than vague supposition to guide him in distinguish-
ing plaster of Paris from genuine bones, or from natural lias.
By his own showing, he allows that the natural parts were
not to be distinguished from those which were manufactured,
for says the Doctor, " it is not the British Museum who are de-
frauded, but Mr. Hawkins. I ought to have put a larger
price upon the collection. — Parts which I set down to a
somewhat unusual development of the bump of imitativeness
in my fi-iend, Mr. Thomas Hawkins, I now, to my surprise,
find to be the handy-work of Dame Nature herself. My es-
timate therefore was not a hond fide one, and, as a matter of
justice to Mr. Hawkins, I ought to make a fresh valuation."
I happen to know upon more definite authority than
mere rumour, the amount of the sum which Dr. Buckland is
prepared to swear he would have given Mr. Hawkins over
and above the sum of twelve hundred guineas, had not he
(Dr. Buckland) included in his estimate of the collection a
quantity of genuine remains under a belief that they were
plaster of Paris. The sum in question is very considerable,
and I only refi'ain from naming the amount, because on this
occasion I purposely avoid going into details, which have
not already come before the public in another shape. I
may, however, just remind Dr. Buckland, that unless he
quotes the name of Dr. Mantell in conjunction with his own,
when stating what Mr. Hawkins ought to have received, the
larger he makes the sum, the greater the amount of culpa-
40 APPENDIX.
bility resting on his own shoulders ; because in calling in that
gentleman to act as co-valuer, he was bound to point out to
him every part which he (Dr. Buckland) believed to be man-
ufactured.
In paragraph 6, Dr. Buckland states that the manufac-
tured parts ought most assuredly to be indicated by being
coloured differently to the parts which are genuine. How
came Dr. Buckland not to request Mr. Hawkins to have this
done before he and Mr. Mantell visited the collection for the
purpose of setting a price upon it ? This would have saved
Dr. Buckland the disagreeable necessity of having to come
forward, to try to make the public believe that there was
no foundation for any suspicion of " fraud or collusion." — Be-
sides which, Mr. Hawkins would have then had the full value
put upon his specimens, — that is the additional sum which the
British Museum now owes him, on account of the extraordi-
nary blunder which Dr. Buckland pretends to have commit-
ted. The light breaking in upon Dr. Buckland, as to the
urgent necessity for colouring the spurious portions, nine
months after he had sent the collection to the Museum, and
not until Mr. Konig himself happened to discover the condi-
tion of those portions, can only be regarded as forming one
of the most singular coincidences on record.
When Dr. Buckland penned this defence for Mr. Hawkins,
it is probable that the contents of a letter which he addressed
to the Trustees a few months previously w^ere not very fresh
in his recollection, as it will be seen that upon that occasion
there was no hint given to the Trustees about any want of
fidelity in the published plates. The letter in question ap-
pears at p. 440 of the Report.
No. 26.
Letter from Rev. Dr. Buckland, to the Trustees of the British Museum.
Oxford, July 7, 1834.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
I beg to inform you that I have received a communica-
tion from Mr. T. Hawkins, stating that he is anxious to see placed in the
British Museum his collection of gigantic fossil reptiles, found in the
counties of Dorset and Somerset, and that he is ready to sell them to the
Trustees at any price that I shall name.
I have declined to act alone, and have proposed that Mr. Mantell
should assist me in the valuation, in case the matter should he favourably
regarded by the Trustees.
I beg leave to state my opinion with respect to this collection,
that it is absolutely unique, and" that I consider it a matter of very high
importance to the Museum to get possession of it ; it is such as I could
scarcely have believed it possible to make, and such as could only have
APPENDIX. 41
been raade under a rare combination of circumstances in one individual,
which can never occur again.
The specimens are not only of high value in the estimation of
men of science, but are also to a great degree intelligible to the unlearned ;
among them are several, which are in their kind, beyond compare the finest
and most perfect the world has ever yet produced. I feel it would be an
honour to the country to have this collection placed in the British Museum,
and a national discredit if these unique productions of England should be
purchased for public museums in other countries.
The specimens offered for sale are all beautifully and most accu-
rately engraved in a folio volume, just published, by Mr. Hawkins, on Ich-
thyosauri and Plesiosauri, which may be considered as a catalogue of the
collection.
I have the honour to remain, &c.
WILLIAM BUCKLAND.
A graphic representation of a specimen, making that speci-
men appear more perfect than it really is, cannot be a " most
accurate" engraving of the original. Dr. Buckland on the
7th July 1834, tells the Trustees that the specimens are most
accurately engraved in Mr. Hawkins's book, yet twelve months
afterwards, when Mr. Konig discovers that the drawings are
inaccurate, Dr. Buckland informs the Secretary, the Rev. Mr.
Forshall, that Mr. Hawkins would certainly have done well had
he indicated the amount of his restorations in his pubhshed
plates, but that he (Dr. Buckland) was fully aware of their want
of fidelity when he arranged the purchase for the Museum,
and when he referred the Trustees to those plates as forming
an illustrated catalogue of the collection. This, I think is only
to be matched by the declaration at the Geological Society,
and the private letter of advice to Mr. Hawkins. In paragraph
8, Dr. Buckland tells the Trustees that they are in no way
aggrieved by the fact of the Saurians not being so perfect
as they were represented in the plates, because they (the
Trustees) having paid on behalf of the nation twelve hundred
guineas, have come into actual possession of the collection,
and they therefore have only to expose the defects and there-
by take care that no one is " deluded."
The collection being safely deposited in the National
Museum, and the money safely lodged in the pocket of Mr.
Hawkins, the Trustees must have felt particularly grateful
to Dr. Buckland, for waiting until that period, and then hint-
ing to them how desirable it was that they should set their
faces against every thing in the shape of delusion. Their
confidence too, in the integrity and impartiahty of the Doctor,
must have been wonderfully strengthened by his disapproba-
tion of his protege's conduct in the sale of the book ; dis-
posing of the lithographic prints, upon an average, at a shil-
42 APPENDIX.
ling each, and yet not giving the purchasers of those prints
fully to understand that in one of two instances, the said
prints were not faithful to the specimens they professed to
represent. But then, as a set-off against this, it was to be
borne in mind how nobly Mr. Hawkins had acted in the dis-
posal of the originals ; first offering to sell his collection to
the British Museum for £4000. But that offer being de-
clined, and Mr. Hawkins feehng that the speedy getting rid
of his Saurians, and their transfer to the Museum, was " of
moment to the honour of his country, and the interests of
science," offers to let them go at any price that Dr. Buckland
shall name ; and not only this, but Mr. Hawkins colours
the artificial to match the real portions so exactly, or rather,
as it would seem, the real are made to look so Uke the artifi-
cial, that his own valuer, notwithstanding his long familiarity
with the specimens, mistakes the one for the other, and does
not give Mr. Hawkins so much by several hundred pounds,
as he was fairly entitled to. Then there was the liberality
of putting the modelled parts into the bargain, without saying
one word about them, showing that Mr. Hawkins could not
have been actuated by any mercenary motives, as in that case
he would naturally have suggested that two Italian savans
should be entrusted with the forming a separate valuation of
such parts of the Ichthyosauri as consisted of plaster of
Paris, the value of the genuine remains being entrusted to
his own countrymen. For my own part I cannot understand
why Dr. Buckland should cast a slur upon Mr. Hawkins as
it respects the sale of his prints, in opposition to the sale of
his specimens. I admit, says the Doctor, that the Sau-
rians are not so perfect as they are made to appear, but this
matter does not affect the Trustees, for as they have posses-
sion of the collection, they can take care no one shall be
deluded, by pointing out the imperfections.
It is very true that it lay in the power of the Trustees to
issue orders for the artificial parts to have a colour different
to that of the parts which were genuine, but I wonder it
should never have occurred to Dr. Buckland, with all his
fertility of imagination, that the purchasers of the litho-
graphic prints being the actual possessors of those prints,
could inspect the Saurians in the Museum, and by the use
of the same means make their copies agree with the originals.
If this plan would in some measure deface the prints, the
same thing may be said of colouring or otherwise marking
the specimens themselves. I therefore contend that the pur-
chasers of the specimens, and the purchasers of the prints
representing those specimens, equally having it in their
APPENDIX. 43
power to take measures to prevent "any one being deluded,"
upon Dr. Buckland's own inductive reasoning, must both be
placed in one and the same category. Now, the Doctor
himself puts forward the proposition that Mr. Hawkins may
justly be called to account by the purchasers of his plates,
a proposition which he must either admit to embody a fal-
lacy, or he must come round to my view of the matter, that
the buyers of the prints have cause to cry out a little, but the
buyers of the originals cause to cry out much more, the
difference between them being represented by the difference
between one pound and one thousand.
We are told by Mr. Hawkins in one part of his folio vo-
lume entitled "Memoirs oi Ichthyosauri and Plesiosauri'*
that there are some mysteries so profound as to require a
period of a thousand years for their solution ; and I am
strongly disposed to acquiesce in the philosophy of this
observation, when I find by the Parliamentary Report, the
Trustees of the British Museum coming to a resolution, that
the " clear and decided statement of Dr. Buckland," that is,
the statement I have just been analysing — rendered it unne-
cessary for them to institute any farther enquiry into the
circumstances attending the purchase of Mr. Hawkins's fos-
sils.
Such of my readers as may have followed me thus far in
this Appendix, will now understand why Dr. Buckland took
upon himself to give out that the Editor of the ' Magazine of
Natural History' was on the brink of ruin; and why Mr.
Lyell found him so ready to offer me his services, and so
willing on Mr. Hawkins's behalf to compromise the action
upon my giving " some sort of verbal apology."
I appeal to the preceding pages in justification of the
opinion I entertain, and I appeal to the supposed confidence
with which a person replies to a question at his friend's din-
ner-table, in justification of my not having kept my lips
sealed, when the interrogation was put to me. 1 still think
the Trustees of the British Museum were not fairly treated
in the purchase of Mr. Hawkins's fossils, and if Dr. Buck-
land deems it advisable to prosecute me for thinking so, he
can make a cat's paw of his friend, and guarantee him his
expenses to carry on the action. I may be put to a great
deal of vexatious annoyance and expense, but if a verdict
even should, under the law of libel, be entered against me,
will the farthing damages which Dr. Buckland and Mr. Haw-
kins are looking forward to dividing, — will that farthing,
I ask, recompense the President of the Geological Society for
the ordeal he must pass through to obtain it ? He cannot get
into the witness-box with clean hands, after one day volun-
teering to mediate for me, and the next to change places with
44 APPENDIX.
Mr. Hawkins, and become my prosecutor. Nor do I believe
it would be an easy matter to find a jury willing to attach
weight to any statements he might depose to on the trial,
after the duplicity which I have shown him to be capable of,
and after the equivocal nature of the evidence laid before
the Committee appointed by the House of Commons, to en-
quire generally into the affairs and management of the Na-
tional Museum.
I shall say but few words by way of apology for having
gone into the consideration of subjects which have little or
no relation to the immediate cause of this Appendix being
issued. The necessity for the publication, as mentioned on
the cover of the Magazine for December last, arises out of
matters connected with the late important discovery near
Woodbridge, — that of monkeys and opossums, or at least their
fossilized relics, existing in the London clay. I may, how-
ever, state in general terms, that though neither of the sub-
jects already touched upon, was alone of sufficient import-
ance to involve such a measure as the present ; yet, having
to enter the lists with Mr. Lyell and Prof. Owen, I have
taken advantage of the opportunity to repel attacks in other
quarters. Should there happen to be a lover of Natural His-
tory, who otherwise might have felt well disposed towards
the Magazine, or the Editor who conducts it, but that he
has come in contact with Mr. Neville Wood, Mr. Thos.
Hawkins, or Dr. Buckland, he will now know how to mea-
sure the amount of importance to which their several state-
ments or opinions are respectively entitled. No man having
the slightest pretension to honourable feeling, will allege
that, privately, to the injury of another, which puhlicly he
would flinch from avowing, if openly called upon to do so.
The President of the Geological Society of London is at
the pains to originate a report, that the Editor of an English
scientific journal is on the brink of ruin. A channel is put
before him, in which, if he could, he might be expected to
offer something like a pretext for having ventured on so in-
iurious a statement, but not a syllable is advanced either to
justify or palliate the act. It therefore can only be inferred,
that he resorted to a gratuitous calumny, for purposes which
the preceding history will have made too readily apparent.
The first London-clay mammiferous tooth obtained by
Mr. Colchester, in the parish of Kingston (there called Ky-
APPENDIX. 45
son), close to the town of Woodbridge, in Suffolk, is repre-
sented by figure 1. The drawing for this engraving ,
has been taken from the original specimen, by M.
Dinkel, a natural-history draughtsman of well-known T
celebrity. The view is one looking down upon the
crown of the tooth ; and the figure is larger by half
a diameter than the fossil itself. This tooth, imme-
diately upon its passing from the hands of the finder
(a lad employed in the quarry), into the possession
of Mr. Colchester, was shown by that gentleman to
me ; and Mr. Colchester, upon that occasion, learned from
my examination of it, that the tooth was that of a mam-
miferous animal ; I also mentioned to him the high geolo-
gical value it would possess, if the stratum from which it
came were really what it appeared to be, a bed of the
London-clay formation. I should at once have made pub-
lic the circumstance in the ' Magazine of Natural History,'
had it not been that no other fossils were present to aid in
determining the age of the bed, and under these circum-
stances I left it in the hands of its possessor, with an un-
derstanding that at any future time I was at liberty to
make it known.
Subsequently to this, Mr. Lyell became acquainted with
Mr. Colchester through a note of introduction from me ; and
during an excursion to Suffolk last year, he borrowed this
tooth for the purpose of showing it to Prof. Owen. AVhen,
however, it. was removed from Mr. Colchester's cabinet it does
not appear that anything was said by Mr. Lyell about his
intended publication. The tooth accordingly was taken to
the College of Surgeons, and Prof. Owen pronounced it to
belong to one of the " mixed feeders", and ultimately decided
that it was the tooth of an Opossum of the restricted genus
Didelphis. Mr. Lyell then went into Scotland, and having
possession of the tooth, and as he supposed, a knowledge of
the genus to which it belonged, he resolved to announce the
discovery at the meeting of the British Association, then
shortly about to be held at Birmingham.
Subsequently to Mr. Lyell's going into Scotland, but prior
to the Birmingham Meeting, a second and much larger mam-
miferous tooth, with a considerable portion of the jaw re-
maining attached to it, came through Mr. Colchester into the
hands of Mr. Searles Wood. This second tooth was found
in the same quarry as the former one, and upon being shown
by Mr. Wood to Prof Owen, he compared it with the cor-
responding tooth of a well-known monkey, with which, as
Mr. Wood confidently asserts, he pronounced it to be iden-
tical. (See fig. 2.)
i6
APPENDIX.
About three weeks after this, but still before
the British Association met at Birmingham, a
third mammiferous tooth, (see fig. 3.) but widely
differing from either of the two former ones,
was obtained by Mr. Colchester, and given by
him to me, for publication in the Magazine.
The opportunity of doing this was only what Natural size
I had in common fairness some claim to, because it was I
who had induced Mr. Colchester to form a collection of
the fossils from the numerous and rich localities in the
immediate neighbourhood of his residence, and to whom he
was indebted for the information that the tooth (No. 1) was
that of a mammal.
Mr. Lyell went from Kinnordy, in Scotland, to the meeting
of the British Association at Birmingham in August, and there
announced to the Geological section, the discovery of mam-
miferous teeth in the London- clay of Suffolk ; my own his-
tory of the third tooth was coming out in the number of my
journal for the following month (September), but thinking
that any information on so important a matter, would be ac-
ceptable to the Geologists assembled at Birmingham, I sent
down some printed copies of the paper to the Secretary, Prof.
Phillips, but not until Mr. Lyell had read his paper on the
tooth (No. 1), and thereby secured to himself the credit of
being the first to make known so important a step in the
history of English Geology.
I now turn to the authenticated reports in the Athenaeum,
to make an extract from Mr. Lyell's observations upon the
tooth (No. 1). This fossil has since turned out to be, like
No. 2, the tooth of a monkey, and not as at first pronounced
by Prof Owen, that of an opossum. The passage I shall
quote is from page 676 of the 'Athenaeum' for September 7,
1839.
No. 27.
" Mr. Lyell then mentioned the discovery of the teeth of an opossum
in the London clay at Kyson, near Woodbridge. This fossil, also
from the collection of Mr. Colchester, was obtained, together with the
APPENDIX. 47
teeth of fish, from the upper part of a bed of sand about ten feet thick,
which is covered by a mass of London clay about seventeen feet thick.
The clay is again covered, at a short distance from Kyson, by the red
crag. Mr. Owen, on seeing this tooth, was clear that it could not be-
long to any of the decidedly carnivorous or herbivorous animals, but
rather to some one of the mixed feeders, and having compared it with
the teeth of the various tribes of quadrupeds included in that division,
from the shrews to the monkeys, he found it to differ essentially from
all of them ; and he finally decided that it was marsupial, and one of
the molars of a Didelphis allied to the Virginian opossum. Mr. Lyell
immediately requested Mr. Wood and Mr. Colchester to renew their
search in the same sand at Kyson, and they soon after found there a
jaw and tooth, which Mr. Owen refers to a quadrumanous animal of
the genus Macacus. The sand containing these remains is referable
to the London clay, and this is the first instance of the fossil remains
of Quadrtimana having been found in a deposit of the Eocene period.'
Now, the tooth, which, in August, Mr. Lyell, on the autho-
rity of Prof. Owen, pubUcly stated to " diifer essentially" from
the monkeys, was found by Prof. Owen, in the beginning of
the following October, not only to be that of a monkey, but
to belong to one of the most common and best known genera
of the whole monkey tribe, — the Macacus.
It would seem that the first charge set on foot against me
by Mr. Lyell, was, that in publishing the Woodbridge fossil
No. 3, (which, after a careful comparative examination, I
had referred to an opossum), I stood indebted to Prof Owen
for what 1 had said respecting it, and that I had made no
acknowledgement of that obligation, but had appropriated
as my own, the result of his investigation. This, at least,
was from what I could gather, the impression left upon the
minds of other parties from communications made to them
by Mr. Lyell. Now an imputation of this kind privately
circulated, or an obscure hint which might admit of such a
construction, emanating from so high an authority, was about
the best scheme that could have been devised for doing me
the greatest possible amount of injury in the fewest words :
the Editor of a scientific journal, from the nature of his
oflice, having so frequently in his hands, the unpublished
observation of others, and thereby being so peculiarly ob-
noxious to a charge of undue appropriation.
When Mr. Lyell is taxed with having made the charge
just alluded to, he evades an explanation by complaining that
I had referred to the tooth No. 2, in his possession, as be-
ing like my own, (No. 3), mammiferous, but that I had not
mentioned the fact of its also being the tooth of an opossum,
which I ought under the circumstances to have done, having
48 APPENDIX.
been privy to Prof. Owen's determination to that effect. Now
if the comparing a fossil tooth with a series of recent teeth,
and the giving an opinion as to which of the recent teeth
most nearly approximated the fossil, had involved in the case
of a genus so well known as Didelphis, any very profound
knowledge of comparative anatomy, then (in the absence of
good reason to the contrary), I might have been blamed for
the omission. As it was however, if Mr. Lyell felt, as it is to
be presumed he did, that he should be rendering the state a
service by lowering me in the estimation of my fellow culti-
vators of Natural History, and by putting them on their
guard with respect to me, he surely might have waited until
I should have committed some act in\ olving a heavier amount
of culpability than the one which it is admitted he made use
of to my prejudice. The tooth in Mr. LyelFs possession,
which I spoke of as mammiferous, but without saying that it
was the tooth of an opossum, happened all the time to be
the tooth of a monkey, and what is more, Mr. Lyell knew
perfectly well it was the tooth of a monkey, when he penned
the letter. No. 33, complaining of my not having called it
the tooth of an OpossUm. I felt it somewhat humiliating to
have seriously to combat an accusation, so absurdly frivolous
in its natm'e, although very far from frivolous if viewed in
relation to the purposes for which it had been called into be-
ing. In justification of my silence I informed Mr. Lyell
that one of my reasons for not stating this tooth, (No. 1), to
be that of an opossum, was, that Prof. Owen himself, ( after
Mr. Lyell had left for Scotland), suspected the possibility of
his having mistaken a monkey's tooth for an opossum's, and
mentioned that suspicion to myself. A monkey's jaw from
the same locality as the supposed opossum's tooth, having in
the mean while been brought to him, readily explaining
why such a suspicion should arise. Prof. Owen upon being
referred to by Mr. Lyell, and also by myself, most distinctly
denies that he gave me any caution of the kind, grounding
the assertion upon the statement that he felt confident the
tooth. No. 1, was that of an opossum, and that he allowed
Mr. Lyell to publish it as such at Birmingham, upon his au-
thority.— Now the real point of importance at issue here is,
that there being a sacrifice of truth on either one side or the
other, with whom does it rest } Fortunately there is a document
accessible which will help to decide this question. I quote
fi'om the Annals of Natural History, for November, 1839,
the following passage to which the name of Prof Owen
stands as the author. The fossil referred to is the supposed
APPENDIX. 49
opossum's tooth, (No. 1), which Prof. Owen now republishes
as the tooth of a monkey, and of which he thus speaks :
No. 28.
" This tooth was one of the mammiferous remains from the Lon-
don-clay formation at Kyson, which was submitted to my examina-
tion by Mr. Lyell, and the one which, after a cursory comparison, I
observed to present a considerable resemblance with the molar of an
opossum. / should not, however, have presumed to have published
a statement of its affinity to, much less its identity ivith the genus
Didelphis, without testing the fossil by a more extended and rigour-
ous comparison."
On the 14th of November (letter 38), Prof. Owen states
that he could not have communicated to me before he left
London for Birmingham, an intention to re-compare the sup-
posed opossum's tooth with the teeth of the monkeys, because
his first comparison made him feel confident that the tooth in
question was that of a Didelphis, and as such he allowed
Mr. Lyell to publish it before the members of the British
Association ; yet, only fourteen days previously to his writing
this letter. Prof Owen had declared in print, that his first
examination of this same tooth was so cursory, that he would
not have felt justified in publishing its aflinitiesto, and much
less its identity with the genus Didelphis. The argument,
therefore, with which Prof Owen opposes my statement, is
completely falsified by his own words.
How Prof Owen, when at the Birmingham Meeting, could
authorize Mr. Lyell to publish that which, by his own volun-
tary admission, he (Prof. Owen) would not have " presumed"
to have published himself, is a matter for him, and not for
me to explain.
Mr. Lyell who had so committed himself in this matter as
probably to feel that he must, if necessary, go any lengths in
making out some case against me, comes forward with a state-
ment, which for the boldness displayed in its concoction,-
could not well be exceeded. In the letter, No. 35, dated
Nov. 1st, he deposes as follows : —
No. 29.
" Mr. Lyell had conversed at Birmingham with Prof. Owen, on the
subject of the opossum's tooth, both before reading his paper to the
British Association and afterwards, and then again in September, at
the College of Surgeons in London. It was not until three weeks ago
that Prof. Owen first called on Mr. Lyell to say that he began to en-
tertain doubts, and to invite Mr. Lyell to accompany him to the Col-
lege of Surgeons, where, after a careful comparison, it was decided
that the tooth was not marsupial, but the molar of a Macacus."
50 APPENDIX.
Referring again to this point in his vindicatory letter, Mr.
Lyell observes. —
No. 30.
" It is impossible, that during my intercourse with Mr. Owen in
August and September, when conversing on this subject, I should bave
remained ignorant of any doubts entertained by him, of the marsupial
nature of the tooth. No. 1, which he allowed me to announce on his
authority, at Binningham. It was six weeks after you wrote your pa-
per, that the suspicion entered Mr. Owen's mind for the first time, and
he immediately came to tell me that he felt some annoyance at having,
after his first cursory comparison, misled me."
The intimation here distinctly conveyed by Mr. Lyell's
statement, is nothing more or less than that Prof. Owen had
a month or more at his disposal, during which there was no
reason to prevent his testing his suspicion, if any doubt had
existed in his mind as to the possibility of his having made
a mistake in the matter of the supposed opossum's tooth.
Mr. Lyell, moreover, making it appear that during this interval
(that is, the month of September), he (Mr. Lyell), was in per-
sonal communication at the College of Surgeons with Prof.
Owen. The real fact, however, is, that during the month of
September, Prof. Owen was not within a hundred miles of the
College of Surgeons ; and during the previous month (August),
Mr. Lyell not having been within a hundred miles of the same
building, —it was not until the month of October that Prof.
Owen could put his doubts to the test. The "September" con-
versations which Mr. Lyell calls in to bear against me, are
therefore altogether imaginary.
Feeling how serious an imputation would be thrown upon
Mr. Lyell by what I have just stated, and the great importance
to myself of verifying the absence of Prof. Owen, 1 thought
it as well to address the following letter to the Secretary of
the College of Surgeons :
No. 31.
103, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury,
May 23rd, 1840.
Sir,
I am under the necessity of addressing you as the
Secretary of the College of Surgeons, for the purpose of obtaining
(if it can be granted me) a document, which shall put it in my power
to state, on more definite authority than my own personal knowledge,
that the Assistant Conservator of the Museum, Prof. Owen, was
absent from the College during the month of September last.
The grounds upon which I hope this request will be acceded to are
these :^-
APPENDIX. 51
That being the Editor of the Magazhie of Natural History, a Jour-
nal in which the subjects of Comparative Anatomy and Physiology,
in common with other branches of Science are treated upon, I have
for several years past had occasional access allowed me to the Museum
of the College, through the Conservator, Mr. Clift, or through the
Assistant Conservator, Prof. Owen : — That 1 stand charged by Prof.
Owen with having appropriated, or with having intended to appropriate
and publish as my own, certain results, arrived at by, and belonging to
himself, in relation to some extremely important discoveries in the his-
tory of English Fossil Zoology, — the said charge or charges arising,
more or less, out of certain interviews between Prof. Owen and myself,
at the Museum of the College, in the month of August, and certain
alleged interviews between Mr. Lyell and Prof. Owen, also at the
College, during the month of September, 1839 : — That the fact of its
not being possible that the alledged interviews could have taken place
during the specified time, (namely the month of September), owing
to the absence of Prof. Owen, is a circumstance of material importance
in enabling me to substantiate a vindication which I am on the point
of placing before the public.
I further beg to submit that the charge or charges in question, are
calculated to be seriously detrimental to my reputation as a private
individual engaged in scientific pursuits, but more especially as a
public journalist: — moreover, that the granting the document referred
to could only operate to the prejudice of Prof. Owen, upon the assump-
tion that he has charged a visitor to the Museum with acts or inten-
tions which that document would tend to disprove, — and consequently,
that the refusal to gi'ant it, would be placing an obstacle in the way of
an investigation which otherwise might establish the innocence of th«
party upon whom the fraudulent imputation now hangs.
I remain, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
Edw. CHARLESWORTH.
Edmund Belfour, Esq.
Secretary to the College of Surgeons,
Before sending the above letter, I made a personal appli-
cation to the Secretary (Mr. Belfour), on the subject : and
though he did not dispute the fact of Prof Ovren's being ab-
sent from the college throughout the month of September, he
held out to me but little prospect of my intended apphcation
being acceded to ; and up to the present date (May 28th),
I have received no reply ; a result for which I was not unpre-
pared. My own knowledge of the period of Prof. Owen's
absence, arises from his having told me when he went to
the Birmingham meeting, that he should proceed thence to
Ireland, and remain absent during the period in question ;
in addition to which, I called at the College on the •28th of
September, and Prof. Owen had not then returned from liis
excursion. Under these circumstances, it could not b«
52 APPENDIX.
otherwise than that six weeks should elapse before Prof.
Owen could test the correctness of the doubt which he
mooted to me ; and Mr. Lyell must have been aware of this,
when referring to " September" conversations, and when in-
timating that Prof Owen (really absent in Ireland), was all
the time within reach both of the Museum in Lincoln's Inn
Fields, and the fossil which has acquired such distinguished
notoriety.
Up to the date of November the 1st, I had not enterta,ined
the most distant suspicion of Prof Owen having been a j^arty
to the charge against me by Mr. Lyell ; as I felt conscious
that no act of mine could have afforded the slightest found-
ation for any interruption to the friendly intimacy which
had long subsisted between us ; and the only communication
on the subject which had passed between myself and the Pro-
fessor, had given me the full impression that he was indig-
nant at the course which a third party had been pursuing.
I was, however, soon to be undeceived. The charge against
me in the case of the supposed opossum, and which I fully
thought to have been concocted by Mr. Lyell alone, proving a
break-down. Professor Owen, in writing to deny that he
had communicated to me any doubt as to his first determi-
nation of that fossil, takes the opportunity of reminding me
that I had intended to rob him of his discovery of the nature
of the other fossil. No. 2 (the monkey's jaw), but that he had
learned from me what I was about to do, and had put a stop
to my intention. After perusing the contents of this epistle,
it was impossible that 1 could remain in the dark any longer.
I saw clearly that I was to be victimized, for having taken a
part in making known so important a step in tertiary Geology
as the discovery at Kingston, and my reputation for integrity
and candour in the pursuit of science to be destroyed : the
agents resorted to for that purpose, being forgery and false-
hood, and the most heartless treachery on the part of Prof.
Owen and Mr. Lyell. 1 replied to Prof Owen's letter in a
way that left it open for him to withdraw his charge, if he had
expressed that which he did not intend to convey ; but hear-
ing nothing farther from him, I determined to save both him-
self and Mr. Lyell the necessity of privately warning other
parties of my fraudulent propensities, by publishing the cor-
respondence, and pleading that I was charged with acts and
intentions which I never had entertained or committed ; thus
leaving it open to any one who might read the correspond-
ence, to believe Prof. Owen if they chose, and act accord-
ingly. It will be seen, upon this determination being made
known that the Hunterian Professor at the College o Sur-
APPENDIX. 53
geons, had not tlie courage to persist in his charge against
me, although he well knew I could bring no witnesses to dis-
prove his accusation. All that I could have relied was
circumstantial evidence, and the great improbability that if I
had intended to appropriate the discovery of another party,
I should have made that party the confidant of my intention.
Professor Owen however thought it prudent to shift his ground,
and, like Mr. Lyell, to discuss something which I had either
really done, or really intended to do ; and Mr. Searles Wood
having requested me to furnish an osteological description of
the monkey's jaw, to accompany his announcement of its dis-
covery, Professor Owen makes, or wishes to make it appear
that my being about to do this, was what he had to alledge
against me. He then goes through the farce of collecting
evidence to show that I was prepared to furnish this descrip-
tion, and writes a letter to Mr. Wood, deliberately telling him
that I had denied any such intention. He also informs Mr.
Wood, that having had the civility, as one of the conserva-
tors of the Museum of the College of Surgeons, to tell him
what tribe of animals the jaw belonged to, neither Mr, Wood
or any one else had a right to publish a description of that
fossil but himself, and that he got the fossil in question out of
my hands, by insisting upon this principle. Now, Mr. Wood
knew perfectly well, what it was that Prof. Owen had charged me
with, and by what stratagem it was that he (Prof Owen) had
the publishing a description which otherwise would have been
drawn up by myself He therefore, at once taxes him with
having shifted his accusation, and at the same time gives him
to understand, that he does not believe any such thing took
place during my visit to the College of Surgeons in August,
as that originally stated by the Professor to have occurred.
Prof Owen finding that his position was anything but a
satisfactory one, and that he was in a fair way of making as
lame a business of the appropriation story in the case of tlie
monkey, as his coadjutor, Mr. Lyell, had done for him in
the case of the opossum, — judges it the safest plan to make a
merit of necessity, and to state that he never meant it to be
understood that I intended to do anything either Jraudulent
or dishonourable ; in other words — that the idea of there being
" fraud" or " dishonour" in one naturalist appropriating the
discoveries of another, was an idea peculiar to Mr. Wood
and myself, and not entertained by him.
I think any one who will read the correspondence, will have
little difficulty in understanding why Prof Owen at the
eleventh hour, volunteered the admission in question. It
was not a sense of justice to me that called it forth, depend-
54 APPENDIX.
ing on his consciousness of my having done nothing fraudu-
lent or dishonourable, but because he found that he had
outwitted himself in fabricating a charge against me wliich
he had not the hardihood to abide by, or the tact to defend.
In proceeding to the correspondence, which includes both
the charges against me, I shall in this place, merely request
the readers especial attention to the letters between Prof.
Owen and Mr. Wood.
No. 32.
No. 3, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury.
October 30, 1839.
Mr. Charlesworth has heard with surprise, that Mr. Lyell, when in com-
munication with parties to whom Mr. Charlesworth is personally known,
has attributed to him the appropriation without acknowledgment of infor-
mation derived from Professor Owen, in reference to a paper in the last
* Magazine of Natural History.'
Mr. Charlesworth begs to inform Mr. Lyell that the article in question
did not embody any information derived either directly or indirectly from
Professor Owen, Mr. Charlesworth having had an opportunity of satisfying
himself as to the probable affinities of the fossil forming the subject of his
paper, without availing himself of the access always readily gi-anted him
by Mr. Clift and Professor Owen to the osteological collection in the Col-
lege of Surgeons. Mr. Charlesworth is at a loss to conceive the motive
that has induced Mr. Lyell to attempt to create an unfavourable prejudice
against him, but he trusts that he shall be able to satisfy those among his
friends to whom the matter may have been named, of the entire absence
of any foundation for the impression which Mr. Lyell has so anxiously
endeavoured to produce.
No, 33.
16, Hart St., Bloomsbury,
Oct. 30, 1839.
In reply to Mr. Charlesworth's letter, Mr. Lyell begs to state that he
believed, and expressed his belief to several friends, that Mr. Charlesworth,
when he wrote on a mammiferous fossil found at Kyson (in the Sept. No.
of Mag. of Nat. Histy.), had been already informed that Mr. Owen had
previously examined the first mammalian tooth discovered at Kyson, and
that Mr. Owen had given an opinion that it belonged to an opossum, — a
result which Mr. Lyell had widely circulated. Mr. Lyell also thought
that Mr. C, when expressly mentioning the first-discovered tooth in ques-
tion, should have alluded to the circumstance.
But if Mr. Charlesworth had not become aware of any conclusion pre-
viously arrived at respecting the first fossil, Mr. Lyell will have great
pleasure in informing the only friends to whom he has spoken on the sub-
ject, that he had laboured under a mistake.
No. 34.
Mr. Charlesworth has the honour of acknowledging Mr. Lyell's reply to
his note of yesterday, in which Mr. Lyell remarks that he thinks Mr.
APPENDIX. 55
Charlesworth, in referring to the first mammiferous tooth found at Kyson,
ought to have mentioned the opinion given by Professor Owen respecting
its marsupial character.
Mr. Charlesworth felt himself at liberty to refer in his paper to the tooth
in question, because, he having been the first to detect its mammiferous
nature and consequent geological importance, had received from its dis-
coverer, Mr. Colchester, express permission to figure and describe it pre-
viously to the loan of the specimen being obtained by Mr. Lyell.
The comparison, however, of the tooth, with a view to its identification
with an existing mammiferous type, was undertaken by Professor Owen
at the request of, and whilst the specimen was in Mr. Lyell's possession ;
and although Mr. Charlesworth certainly was informed of the result of
the comparison, he at the same time understood that Mr. Lyell himself
intended to communicate that result at Birmingham, to the British Asso-
ciation.
Professor Owen, moreover, previously to his quitting London to attend
the Birmingham Meeting, intimated to Mr. Charlesworth, that it was his
intention again carefully to examine the tooth, as he thought it might
possibly be referable to a genus among the Quadrumana.
For these reasons Mr. Charlesworth studiously avoided stating that
Professor Owen had identified the first tooth as belonging to au opossum,
more especially as he himself had had no share in that identification, and
consequently no right to publish the circumstance even had no doubt
existed as to the fact.
From the tenor of Mr.' Lyell's reply, Mr. Charlesworth infers, that Mr.
Lyell admits, on his part, the having charged Mr. Charlesworth with the
undue appropriation of information derived from Professor Owen ; but as
no circumstance named in Mr. Lyell's reply would appear to bear out, or
even afford a pretext for, such a charge, Mr. Charlesworth still considere
that the matter requires explanation.
Octobers!.
No. 35.
Mr. Lyell read, with no small surprise, in a letter from Mr. Charles-
worth delivered to him this morning, Mr. Charlesworth's allegation that
" he had studiously avoided stating that Prof. Owen had identified the first
tooth as belonging to an opossum, because Prof. Owen, previously to his
quitting London to attend the Birmingham meeting, had intimated to Mr.
Charlesworth that the tooth in question might possibly be referable to a
quadrumanous genus."
Mr. Lyell had conversed at Birmingham with Prof. Owen, on the sub-
ject of the opossum's tooth, both before reading his paper to the Brit. Assn.
and afterwards, and then again in Septr. at the Coll. of Surgs. in London.
It was not till three weeks ago that Prof. Owen first called on Mr. Lyell to
say that he began to entertain doubts, and to invite Mr. L. to accompany
him to the Coll. Surgs., where, after a careful comparison, it was decided
that the tooth was not marsupial, but the molar of a Macacus.
Accordingly Mr. L. applied to day to Prof. O., and received an answer
of which the following is a full and exact copy.
Royal College of Surgeons,
Nov. 1, 1839.
My dear Lyell,
I neither entertained nor expressed at any time previous to
56 APFENDIX.
my visit to you on the 10th Oct. last, any other opinion respecting tlie
small molar (now proved to be the second molar of a Macacus), than that
it resembled the molar of an opossum.
Believe me,
Very truly your's,
RICHD. OWEN.
Mr. Lyell therefore concludes, that Mr. Charlesworth, at some period
subsequent to the 10th Oct. last, learnt from Prof. O. that his opinion was
changed respecting the small molar, and Mr. C. must, by a confusion of
dates, have imagined that he had written his paper in August last, under
the impression that Mr. Owen had even then arrived at new views.
Be this as it may, Mr. Lyell has always felt, that in similar circumstances,
had he been first informed that Prof. Owen and another gentleman of his
acquaintance had come to the conclusion that they possessed the first
fossil remain of an opossum from the London clay at Kyson, and were
about to publish the fact, and if he (Mr. L.), had afterwards obtained ano-
ther fossil from the same place, which he also believed to be an opossum,
he should not have felt at liberty to anticipate the announcement of the
analogous fact, without first communicating his intention to Prof. O. and
his friend.
This feeling Mr. L. expressed to Mr. Wood, and afterwards to Mr. Col-
chester, when begging of him the loan of the opossum's jaw first described
by Mr. Charlesworth.
Mr. L. however, is willing to admit Mr. C's explanation, that he did not
feel at liberty to interfere with the publication of a fact which others had
arrived at, and also to communicate this explanation to the only person
to whom he (Mr. L.) has spoken on the subject.
At the same time Mr. L. takes this opportunity of expressing his con-
viction, from the tone of Mr. Charlesworth's first letter, that the reports
which Mr. C. had heard of what Mr. L. had said of him, must have been
misrepresentations or exaggerations.
10, Hart St., Nov. 1st, 1839.
No. 36.
Mr. Charlesworth having quitted London on the morning of the 1st in-
stant, to spend a week at Charing in Kent, has been unable to acknowledge
at an earlier period, Mr. Lyell's letter of that date, and to which he now
hastens to reply.
The subject of complaint against Mr. Charlesworth seems to resolve
itself into the commission of a breach of courtesy on his part towards
Mr. Lyell and Professor Owen, in not having communicated to these gen-
tlemen his being in possession of, and his being about to publish in the
September ' Magazine of Natural History,' an opossum's tooth, with a
fragment of the jaw, obtained from a supposed bed of London clay near
Woodbridge.
The accompanying statement (in a separate form), of the circumstances
under which Mr. Charlesworth published the fossil in question, and which
he trusts Mr. Lyell will favour him by perusing, will show how far the
assumed commission of this minor offence is born out by fact.
The impression as to the nature of the charge preferred by Mr. Lyell
against Mr. Charlesworth, upon the minds of Mr. Charlesworth's
friends, in two separate instances, was widely different from the aspect
which the matter now wears ; but as the parties were strangers to each
APPENDIX. 57
Other, Mr. Cliarlesworth can hardly imagine that both of them should have
fallen into the same kind of exaggeration, or misrepresentation, but
would rather conjecture (as Mr. Lyell does not appear disposed to press
any charge of undue appropriation)^ that they must have misunderstood
the substance or the purport of Mr. LyeH's remarks.
Nov. 9, 1839.
[Statement accompanying the above letter to Mr. Lyell. J
Having learned in A.ugust last, through my friend Mr. Searles
Wood, that a mammiferous tooth, found a considerable time
since in the London clay, near Woodbridge, had been re-
ferred by Professor Owen to an opossum ; and that a second
mammiferous tooth, more recently discovered, had also been
referred by Professor Owen to an existing geims of monkeys;
I visited Suffolk, for the purpose of examining the spot which
had produced these remains, and returned thence the latter
end of the week preceding that during which the British As-
sociation met at Birmingham ; bringing with me a third
mammiferous tooth, obtained subsequently to the two teeth
already mentioned, and of which the Jlrst discovered speci-
men was in the possession of Mr. Lyell, and the second in
the possession of Mr. Wood. I had received permission
from Mr. Colchester, the discoverer of these remains, to pub-
lish the third tooth, and I conclude either that the same per-
mission had been given respectively to Mr. Lyell and to Mr.
Wood, as it regarded the publication of the first and second,
or that these gentlemen felt themselves at liberty to make
that use of the specimens in their possession. I knew Mr.
Lyell to be either in Scotland, or on his way to Birmingham,
and Professor Owen I believed to be likewise absent from
London, as upon my going into Suffolk, he had named to
me the day on which it was his intention to leave, for the
purpose of attending the meeting of the British Association.
Being anxious that a figure and description of the third
mammiferous tooth should appear in the following number of
the ^Magazine of Natural History,' in which number Mr.
Wood was about to publish an account of the seccnd, and
quadrumanous fossil tooth, I lost no time in consulting ( for
the purpose of comparison), the valuable collection of cra-
nia in the museum of the Zoological Society; and having
determined what appeared to me the affinities indicated by
the tooth in my possession, I immediately placed it in the
hands of the artist, there being barely time to have it drawn
and engraved sufficiently soon to admit of its intended publi-
cation. I called on the following morning (Saturday), at the
58 APPENDIX.
College of Surgeons for a manuscript, which Professor Owen
had promised to leave out for me (his description of Mr.
Wood's quadrumanous tooth), and then unexpectedly found
Professor Owen still in town. In the course of conversation ,
I named to Professor Owen my having brought up another
opossum's tooth, which I was going to describe in the suc-
ceeding number of my Journal, and Professor Owen then
observed to me that before pronouncing the first fossil tooth
as positively belonging to an opossum, he intended, when it
again came into his hands, carefully to compare it with the
teeth of some quadrumanous genera. I am unable to state
what were the exact words used by Professor Owen, but his
remark distinctly implied a suspicion that the first tooth ori-
ginally referred by him to an opossum, might possibly be the
molar of a quadnimanous animal ; and at the time, 1 naturally
concluded, that this doubt on the mind of Professor Owen,
originated in his having determined the generic relations of a
second mammiferous tooth, subsequently submitted to his
examination, to be undoubtedly quadnimanous. And as it
appears that the molars of the Quadrumana, and those of the
opossums, in some instances so nearly resemble, that without
the most careful examination, they may be mistaken the one
for the other, a doubt as to whether the first tooth ( of which
it is admitted no scrupulous comparison was made), might,
perhaps, prove to be quadrumanous instead of marsupial,
would seem almost of necessity to be involved in the subse-
quent identification of a second tooth, from the same locality
as the molar of a monkey. However slight this doubt might
be, upon Professor Owen's return to London in October, the
first tooth having, in the meanwhile, been again placed in
his hands, such a comparison was undertaken, when the fossil
in question proved to be the tooth of a monkey, and not of
an opossum, as he had originally supposed ; and under the
circumstances just referred to, it was by no means unlikely
that my allusion to my intended publication of a second opos-
sum's tooth should elicit from Professor Owen a casual inti-
mation of this doubt, although at this distance of time, the
fact of his having done so may easily have escaped his recol-
lection. The possibility of any " confusion of dates" on my
part, is put at once out of the question, by the circumstance
of my not having seen or communicated with Professor Owen,
from the 25th of August last, until my anival in London a
few days since ; and also the fact of my knowing nothing
whatever about the new determination of the first tooth,
until the announcement of that determination in Mr. Taylor's
journal for the present month.
APPENDIX. 59
I have entered into these details, in conseqnence of the
reply sent by Professor Owen, to a note from Mr. Lyell, a
copy of which reply Mr. Lyell has favoured me with ; but
the point involved in that correspondence may be entirely
lost sight of, without prejudice to the question at issue in the
discussion which has taken place between Mr. Lyell and
myself; for as I have already had occasion to state the prin-
cipal motive, (and one that would have induced the same
course, in the absence of all other considerations), which led
me, when describing a false molar in my own possession, as
the tooth of an opossum, to abstain from mentioning that a
true molar, in the possession of Mr. Lyell, had been previously
referred by Professor Owen to the same genus, was to avoid
the incurring the charge which in that case I deemed it pro-
bable might be raised against me, of having made public
information which had privately come to my knowledge, and
the right of publishing which, under the circumstances, was
vested in Mr, Lyell.
I certainly esteem it unfortunate, that Mr. Lyell, when
communicattng to other parties his unfavourable opinion of
the course which I pursued, under a fallacious hope that it
presented no feature which could be seized upon as a handle
for animadversion, should have so expressen himself, as to be
understood to impute to me an act of greater culpability than
the one which I have now been called upon to defend.
EDW. CHARLESWORTH.
No. 37.
103, Great Russell Street,
Nov. 10, 1839.
My dear Sir,
Some correspondence has taken place between Mr. Lyell and
myself, respecting the matter which I named to you when I was last, at the
College of Surgeons, in tlie course of which correspondence I stated to Mr.
Lyell, that previously to your going to Birmingham, you intimated to me
a suspicion that the /r.^^* discovered tooth from Kingston might possibly
turn out to be quadrunianous ; from the tenour of your answer to Mr.
Lyell's enquiry upon thi^ point, Mr. L. supposes that there must have
been some confusion of dates in my mind, which has led me to entertain
an erroneous impression. You will, however, probably remember receiving
a note from me when I arrived in Suffolk, written upon the half of a sheet
addressed to Mr. Sowerby, Jun., requesting you to forward to my printer,
or leave out for me your promised notice of the fossil Macacus, and as you
had mentioned Wednesday to me as the day on which you proposed to
quit London, I was surprised to find you at the Museum when I called on
the Saturday for the manuscript ; I was then on my way to the wood-
60 APPENDIX.
cutters in Fleet Street, with the block on which was the drawing- of the
third, and then newly-discovered fragment, and which block I showed to
you, stating that I considered the fragment as marsupial, and that I was
about to publish it as such. It was then that the observation fell from
you to which I have alluded, and of which I have as clear a recollection
as of any one circumstance that ever occurred to me. — You were busily
occupied at the time, I think, upon your British Association Report, and
you made no farther enquiries about the specimen, either then or the
following evening which I spent at your house.
Considering the relative position in which I and Mr. Lyell have
stood with respect to each other, and that there has not been on his side
any disposition shown to make a return for information communicated by
myself, I do not feel that there was the slightest obligation on my part, to
open any negociation with him prior the publication of the third fossil
tooth ; and the opinions which he entertains, or affects to entertain, upon the
subject, are therefore a matter of perfectindifference to me, except inasmuch
as the expression of those opinions may injure me in the estimation of
others. But as it respects yourself, if you feel (as Mr. Lyell wishes to
make other parties believe you do), that my part in the transaction involved
knowingly any one thing that was inconsistent with candour and courtesy,
that such a feeling should exist, would be to me a source of extreme re-
gret. The idea of anticipating you in any announcement, never once
crossed my thoughts, for I all along looked upon the matter as a step in
English tertiary geology, resting between Lyell and myself ; and having,
so far back as 1837, determined the mammiferous character of the Jirst
tooth, and examined the deposit to which it belonged, the two really essen-
tial points in its history, I felt that I had a right to have a. finger in the pie,
and seized the opportunity chance threw in my way. The subsequent
location of the fossil in any one particular genus, was a matter so little
affecting the abstract importance of the first fact (at least in the case of
the opossum), that the possibility of a quarrel about priority upon that
point never occurred to me. I trust that I should never attempt to grasp
at scientific notoriety at the expense of creating a real foundation for the
slightest shade of discord between myself and others occupied in similar
pursuits ; but at the same time, when having a character to deal with like
Lyell's, I would never shrink when it lay in my power from securing all to
which I felt myself legitimately entitled.
I gave Mr. Lyell a letter of introduction to Mr. Colchester, whose
interest in geology solely had its origin in the friendship existing between
us ; and having received the greatest assistance and attention from that
gentleman, Mr. Lyell writes to impress him with the notion that I had
made a dishonourable use of the fossil, which, on a late occasion, he (Mr.
Colchester) entrusted to me ; Mr. Lyell's object being (as I think there can
be little doubt), that Mr. Colchester's future discoveries should pass into
more conscientious hands. Had the case, as it regards myself, been ever
so bad, common delicacy should have kept Mr. Lyell from broaching the
matter to Mr. Colchester, he being one among half-a-dozen of my private
friends to whom Mr. Lyell had gone with letters of introduction from me ;
but under the actual attendant circumstances, I look upon the act as so
utterly despicable, that henceforth, the only respect which I can entertain
for the author of the ' Principles of Geology,' will be that to which he is
entitled from the position he occupies in the scientific world.
I hope, in the event of Mr. Lyell consulting you upon any other
particular in this disagreeable affair, that the portion of the correspond-
ence with which it may be connected, may be placed before you, that no
APPENDIX. 61
undue advantage may be taken of an answer given on the spur of the
moment.
With many apologies for inflicting this long scrawl upon you,
Believe me,
Your's most truly,
EDWD. CHARLESWORTH.
Richd. Owen, Esq.
P. S. — Mr. Wood made a mistake about Sir James Alexander ; Mr.
Lyell's remark was, that the Quarterly Reviewer was a personal friend of
your's. The spirit of the observation was not affected by the error as to
names.
[It is hardly necessary to add that this letter was written
without my anticipating the possibility of its publication.
My copy of it was furnished me by Prof. Owen.] — Ed.
No. 38.
Park Cottages, Regent's Park.
My dear Sir,
With reference to the tooth which 1 have lately de-
scribed as a bicuspid of a Macacus, I can only repeat, that 1 never sus-
pected it to belong to a monkey till October last, when, not without some
feeling of mortification, I went to Mr. Lyell, to confess that I had misled
him by mistaking it for the the tooth of a 'possum. Had the case been as
you suppose it, I should have warned Mr. L. at Birmingham not to speak
confidently of a Didelphys.
The circumstance I best remember connected with your visit to the
Hunterian Museum in August last, was the painful impression pro-
duced by my becoming aware of your intention to publish, as your own
discovery, the quadrumanous nature of the molar which had previously
been submitted to my examination by Mr. Searles Wood ; but which im-
pression was in a great degree removed, by the promptness with which you
yielded to my remonstrance on the impropriety of that step.
I heartily wish that I had neyer seen any of these mammiferous teeth,
or that you had described them in 1837, when you first became acquainted
with them.
Believe me, my dear Sir,
Faithfully your's,
RICHD. OWEN.
[Post mark of Nov. 14th.]
Edw. Charlesworth, Esq.
No- 39.
My dear Sir,
Our respective impressions as to some of the circumstances
attending the publication of the London-clay mammiferous remains, ap-
pear so widely to diff'er, that I fear it will be of little use for me to tell
you that I did not intend to publish as my own the discovery of the quad-
drumanous nature of the molar tooth in the possession of Mr. Wood.
Had 1 contemplated the so doing, my communicating (as you intimate
that I did), that intention to yourself with whom the identification exclu-
6*2 APPENDIX.
sively rested, would have been strange in the extreme. I presume, there-
fore, that your painful impression must have originated in some misconcej)-
tion which I will not attempt to explain : and still less will I endeavour to
reconcile your observation as to the necessity there would have been at Bir-
mingham, for waraing Mr. Lyell not to speak confidently of a Didelphys,
with your remark in Mr. Taylor's Journal, that your comparison of the
tooth in question at that time had been so cursory, that you would not
have considered yourself justified in publishing a statement of even its
affinities to, much less its identity with the above genus.
To whatever genus or section among the " mixed feeders" you con-
ceived it likely, in the absence of the opossums or marsupials generally,
Mr. Lyell's specimen might be found to appertain, the necessity for warn-
ing Mr. I.yell as to the indefinite nature of the comparison you had then
made, must have been equally as urgent as it would have been had your
doubts been directed towards the group which I specified ; and I cannot
therefore comprehend the force or bearing of the observation in your
letter.
I remain, dear Sir,
Faithfully your's,
Richd. Owen, Esq.
EDWARD CHARLESWORTH.
No. 40.
Nov. 18, 1839.
Mr. Charlesworth encloses to Mr. Lyell a copy of a letter addressed to
Mr. Charlesworth by Professor Owen, as it contains a statement at variance
with Mr. Charlesworth's own account (already in Mr. Lyell's hands), of
some circumstances connected with the publication of the London clay
mammiferous remains*
Mr. Lyell will see that Professor Owen advances a fresh charge against
Mr. Charlesworth ; not, however, of any act committed by Mr. Charles-
worth, but of one which he intended to commit, had not that intention
been frustrated by Mr. Charlesworth's own communication of it to Pro-
fessor Owen ! ! !
This new charge implicates also Mr. Searles Wood, since Mr. Charles-
worth could not possibly have claimed the determination of the quadru-
manous fragment as his own, without that gentleman conniving at, and
becoming a party to the fraud.
Before Mr. Charlesworth had seen, or before he had heard of the fossil
in question, Professor Owen had compared it and pronounced it to be iden-
tical with an existing Macacus, and upon Mr. Wood's subsequently
placing the specimen in Mr. Charlesworth's hands, Mr. Charlesworth com-
municated to Mr. Wood his doubts as to the correctness of Professor
Owen's identification, and which doubts have since proved to have been
well founded.
From the complexion which the afi*air has now assumed, Mr. Charles-
worth plainly perceives that a determination has in some quarter been
formed to affix a stigma of a dishonourable kind to the share which he
has had in the publication of the London-clay mammiferous fossils ; and
rather than that a notion of this nature should be privately whispered,
Mr. Charlesworth thinks it better that the whole subject and correspon-
dence should be laid before the scientific public.
APPENDIX. 63
No. 41.
16, Hart St., Nov. 25, 1839.
If Mr. Cliarlesworth should think j&t to print certain letters which
were written to him by Mr. Lyell without any expectation of their being
made public, Mr. Lyell wishes it to be known that this is done without
his sanction or participation.
Mr. Lyell also begs, that in that case the whole correspondence which
has passed on both sides may be published in full, and that this note may
be added to the rest.
No. 42.
Mr. Charlesworth conceived that the word ' correspondence,' as used in
his letter to Mr. Lyell, of the 18th inst., necessarily referred to the letters
on both sides, and that it could not be construed as referrible only to " cer-
tain letters" of Mr. Lyell's.
Mr. Charlesworth willingly accedes to Mr. Lyell's request respecting the
including his note of yesterday, with the rest of the correspondence.
As it regards Mr. Lyell's protest against the publication of the letters
in question, Mr. Charlesworth has to observe : —
1st, That the correspondence contains no details of a confidential nature.
2dly, That Professor Owen, in the ' Magazine of Natural History' for
April, 1838, spoke of M. Coste (a continental physiologist), as a pretender,
who sought to appropriate to himself a discovery which had been commu-
nicated to him by Prof. Owen ; and that Mr. Charlesworth having then
expressed, as the Editor of the Magazine, his own unfavourable opinion
of the part apparently transacted by M. Coste, is now himself charged by
Prof. Owen with the prospective commission of an act involving the same
culpable violation of principle.
3dly, If the charge or charges against Mr. Charlesworth be founded on
truth, Mr. Charlesworth himself is the only party who has [or ought to
have] anything to fear from the publication of the correspondence, as such
a publication can only tend to elicit other facts or circumstances connected
with the matter which may not yet have appeared. On the other hand,
if the charges are destitute of foundation, Mr. Charlesworth is certainly
justified in attempting to vindicate himself by the publication of the cor-
respondence, as well as that of any circumstantial details bearing upon
the subject, which it may be in his power to advance.
Nov. 26th.
No. 43.
16, Hart Street, Bloomsbury Square,
Dec. 11, 1839.
Sir,
Since I last heard from you, when you an-
nounced your fixed determination to print the correspondence
which has passed between us, I have seen your letter to Mr.
Owen, dated Nov. 10, 1839. In reply to several observations
therein contained respecting me, I request you to publish the
following statement. In July, 1839, I was shown, when at
64 APPENDIX.
Ipswich, a fossil tooth in the possession of Mr. Wm. Col-
chester, which he had procured at Kyson about two years
before, which I recognized as decidedly mammiferous, and I
therefore examined attentively the stratum near Woodbridge
from which it came, in order to make up my mind whether
the deposit really belonged to the London clay. Being satis-
fied on this point, I obtained leave from Mr. Colchester to
take it to town, and to show it to Mr. Owen, who supposed it
to be the molar of an Opossum. I immediately wrote letters
both to Mr. Colchester and Mr. Wood, who were then resid-
ing near Woodbridge, begging them to search in the sand at
Kyson, and endeavour to find other remains of mammalia.
The result of their search, after they received my letters, was
the discovery of two other fossils. One of these, which I
shall call No. 2, was obtained by Mr. Wood, and submitted
by him to Mr. Owen, who decided that it was the jaw of a
monkey of the genus Macacus, while the other fossil, which
I shall call No. 3, was placed by Mr. Colchester in your
hands. Shortly after this, being in Scotland, I received let-
ters from Mr. Wood, in one of which he told me that it was
his intention, jointly with Mr. Owen, to give an account of
the newly-discovered Macacus, No. 2. I was well satisfied
to hear of his intention, but it was understood between us,
that I should reserve to myself the announcement to the Bri-
tish Association of Mr. Owen's opinion respecting the first
tooth, as well as of other mammiferous fossils from the Red
Crag, at Newbourn. You have since stated that you saw^ the
Kyson molar two years before (in 1837), in Mr. Colchester's
collection, and recognized its mammiferous character. I
have no doubt of the correctness of this statement, but I
believe that the tooth would have remained unnoticed to this
hour, and unknown to the scientific world, and I feel sure
that no other mammiferous remains would have yet been
discovered at Kyson, but for my visit there in July last.
At Birmingham, in the last week of August, I com-
municated to the British Association Mr. Owen's opinion of
the marsupial nature of the grinder first discovered, or No. 1.
It was not till after 1 had conversed with Mr. Owen on this
subject, at Birmingham, that he put into my hands the Au-
gust' number of the ^Magazine of Natural History,' con-
> Since writing the above, I have been reminded by Mr. Charlesworth,
that the printed notices alluded to on the Kyson fossils were from the
September number of the ' Magazine of Natural History,' although
copies of them were put into my hands before the end of August, at Bir-
mingham, and had been sent there in that month by Mr. C. to Professor
Phillips, for distribution to members of the British Association,
APPENDIX. 65
taining not only the notice of himself and Mr. Wood, on the
Macacus, No. 2, but also a paper of your's, on the fossil, No.
3, which you announced as a Didelphis, without making any
allusion to the opinion previously given by Mr. Owen, that
the fossil. No. 1, belonged to a Didelphis. I told Mr. Owen
that I thought this uncandid, which led him to state how
nearly you had anticipated him in the publication of the dis-
covery of the quadrumanous nature of the fossil. No. 2, and
that you had only been prevented from so doing by his re-
monstrance, and his insisting on his right to communicate
himself to the public the result of his own prior investiga-
tions, which had already been made known to you.
A consideration of these circumstances decided me not
to offer my account of the Kyson and Newboum fossils
for publication in the ' Magazine of Natural History,' where
they might otherwise have succeeded Mr. Wood's paper ;
and I accordingly agreed with Mr. Owen, that an account of
them should be inserted, with Mr. Taylor's permission, in
one of the next numbers of the ' Annals of Natural History.'
It then became desirable that Mr. Owen should compare the
fossils, Nos. 1 and 3, both then supposed to be marsupial.
I therefore sent a request to Mr. Colchester, to lend me the
jaw. No. 3, with which he immediately complied ; and in my
letter to him, I mentioned that I did not feel satisfied (for
reasons already explained to you in my letters) with the
manner in which you had proceeded in regard to the publi-
cation of No. 3.
In your letter to Mr. Owen, (Nov. 10, 1839), you reassert
as a fact, that previously to going to Birmingham, Mr. Owen
had intimated to you a suspicion that the first discovered
tooth might turn out to be quadrumanous. This he has posi-
tively denied, and I repeat my conviction, that you must be
entirely mistaken on this point, as it is impossible, that
during my intercourse with Mr. Owen in August and Sep-
tember, when conversing on this subject, I should have re-
mained ignorant of any doubts entertained by him, of the
marsupial nature of the tooth, No. 1, which he allowed me
to announce on his authority, at Birmingham. It was six
weeks after you wrote your paper, that the suspicion entered
Mr. Owen's mind for the first time, and he immediately came
to tell me that he felt some annoyance at having, after his
first cursory comparison, misled me.
T shall now conclude by observing, that whatever difference
of opinion there may be on other points, there will, I am
persuaded, be but one opinion as to the propriety of your
printing this correspondence, and making your Magazine a
()(y APPENDIX.
vehicle for circulating the details of a private misunder-
standing, with which the scientific public is wholly uncon-
cerned.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
CHA^. LYELL.
Editor of the Magazine of
Natural History.
No. 44.
Sir,
December 15.
I return you your letter of the 1 1th instant, that before its
publication you may correct an error occurring in the middle of the second
page, where the words "August number" should be September number.
If this error be merely accidental, it can be easily rectified, but if it have
arisen from a mistaken belief that my paper on the fossil opossum was
published in August instead of September, that belief will help to explain
some passages in your communication to me of November the 1st.
When I wrote my notice of the fossil No. 3, I knew that whatever
you might say about the history of No. 1, would, by the Athenaeum re-
port, have, by some days, priority of record over mine ; and this being the
case, for reasons which I have fully explained, I thought it better to say
nothing more of the tooth No. 1, than what I had learned from my own
examination of that fossil before it quitted Mr. Colchester's cabinet.
The subsequent result, and my history of the attendant circumstances,
must, I think, satisfy every one that this course was the right one to pur-
sue. Before the termination of the Bii-mingham meeting, I sent to my
friend Professor Phillips some separate copies of the three communica-
tions having reference to the discoveiy at Kyson ; thinking they would be
distributed and read with great interest by the members of the Geological
section. I might have affixed a date to my paper, as it was drawn up on
August the 24th ; and this would have given me an apparent priority over
your's, which is recorded as read August 28th, but I attached no date to
my communication, and it therefore can only be referred to in relation to
the month of September.
I have received from Professor Owen a statement to be published with
the rest of the correspondence. Professor Owen, finding that I am
likely to be able to refute the charge he preferred against me in the letter
of which I sent you a copy, now labours hard to make it appear that Mr.
Wood had no right to commit to me the drawing up a description of the
fragment No. 2, and that this intention of describing the fossil, was the
one that caused his painful impression. Now the " discovery of the qua-
drumanous nature" of a tooth, can only mean the finding out that its
proper location is in the group Quadrumana, as opposed to the Mammalia
generally. A construction differing from this cannot be forced upon the
words ; and it is idle for Professor Owen to calculate upon mystifiing the
whole affair by the extraordinary communication he has sent me, or that
the palpable inconsistencies between the contents of his first letter to me,
and the documents which he has subsequently penned, will not be pointed
out and readily perceived.
The subscribers and contributors to the ' Magazine of Natural His-
tory' constitute the only portion of the public with which I am imrae-
APPENDIX. Qf
diately concerned. How far the giving publicity to a matter so intimately
associated with the reputation of the individual conducting the Journal
which they support, may or may not interest them, is a question which I
must risk.
Wliatever comments I may feel myself called upon to offer upon the
correspondence itself, or upon any of the circumstances with which
that correspondence is connected, I disclaim, in resolving upon the in-
tended publication, any other object than that of openly showing that my
conduct in relation to so important a discovery as the one at Kyson, has
not, in my capacity of a public journalist, or that of a private individual,
presented any features which could justly be seized hold of as affording
grounds for animadversion.
As I did not contemplate the necessity for publication when I com-
menced this correspondence, you will, perhaps, upon the return of your
own letter now enclosed, place temporarily in my possession the com-
munications you have received from me, that I may carefully compare my
copies with the originals.
I remain, Sir,
Your's &c.,
EDWARD CHARLESWORTH.
No. 45.
December 13, 1839.
Sir,
You have announced in the advertisement sheet
of the last Number of your Magazine, your intention to pub-
lish the correspondence which has passed between us on the
subject of the extinct mammiferous remains, lately found in
Suffolk. In the event of your persisting in this course, I beg
that you will add to that correspondence the present state-
ment, and subjoined letters.
In my letter elicited by your's of November 10, 1839,' I
allude to the painful impression produced by my becoming
aware of your intention, in the early part of August last, to
publish, as your own discovery, the (j^uadrumanous character
of the fossil submitted to my examination by Mr. S. Wood,
in the preceding month.
Your answer, dated November 19th, implied a denial of
your having entertained any such intention, by reference to
the improbability of my having been able to frustrate it by
your own communication of such intention to me. It is
nevertheless a fact, that you did mean to anticipate my pub-
lication of that discovery, notwithstanding that you yourself
declared it to me.
But I was aware from other sources, that after my exam-
ination and determination of the fossil in question, you had
^ Of this letter I have forwarded you a copy.
0S
APPENDIX.
procured it from Mr. Wood, and had had illustrative cuts of
it prepared, having, as Mr. Wood has since informed me,
undertaken to furnish a description of it to accompany Mr.
Wood's paper. The wood-cuts of the fossil were ordered by
you, according to Mr. G. Sowerby, Jun., before the 12th of
August last, without my knowledge, and without the advan-
tage which might be derived from my directions. It was not
until after I had insisted on my right to describe the fossil
which I had determined, that Mr. Sowerby received directions
from you (dated 15th August), to call upon me with the proofs
of those cuts, which were then applied to illustrate my de-
scription.
The following are the letters which have passed between
Mr. Searles Wood and myself on this subject.
No. 46.
6, Park Cottages, Regent's Park,
Dec. 5, 1839.
Dear Sir,
A letter has been drawn from me under the usual confidence
of private correspondence, by Mr. Charlesworth, which I observe he has
advertised in the December Number of his Magazine to publish. In that
letter I allude to the fact, well known both to you and myself, that Mr.
Charlesworth had entertained the intention of describing the fossil tooth
and fragment of a jaw of the Macacus^ which he received from you in the
early part of August last, after its quadrumanous nature had been deter-
mined by me. Mr. Charlesworth now denies that he ever entertained that
intention, and as such denial implies that I had, without motive or provo-
cation, wilfully invented a groundless charge against Mr. Charlesworth, I
am compelled to request from you a* statement, whether you have or have
not reason to believe that Mr. Charlesworth did intend to describe the
fossil in question, before I insisted on my right to describe what I had
been the first to detennine.
I remain,
Dear Sir,
Your's very truly,
RICHD. OWEN.
Searles Wood, Esq.
No. 47.
Bernard Street, Dec. 6, 1839.
My dear Sir,
The result of the examination, which, at the end of last
July you kindly undertook for me, of the Kyson Quadrumanous Remain,
led me to conclude, that as the jaw was that of a species of monkey which
is so commonly carried about in this country, it might probably have been
accidentally introduced into the heap of sand from which it had been
sifted I had, therefore, no intention of publicly calling attention to it ;
I immediately wrote to Mr. Tiyell, telling him of the supposed fossil, and
also mentioned my fears respecting its genuineness. A few days after-
APPENDIX. 0i^
wards I showed the specimen to Mr. Charlesworth, and upon a first in-
spection, he assured me it was a genuine fossil, from the circumstance of
its agreement in colour and general appearance with the supposed opos-
sum's tooth which he had previously examined in Mr. Colchester's cahinet ;
and shortly afterwards I was confirmed in the correctness of this opinion,
hy his pointing out to me in what it diflfered from the recent jaw of a
Macaque which he had at his apartments in Great Russell Street ; this led
me to determine to publish Mr. Colchester's fossil in the succeeding num-
ber of the Magazine of Natural History, but as I did not feel at home
upon the subject of comparative osteology, Mr. Charlesworth undertook to
furnish an osteological description, to accompany my letter, stating in what
particulars he believed the Kyson fragment to differ from the corresponding
part in the existing Macaci. It was, of course, my intention to mention
in my letter, the obligation I was under to you, for having told me the
genus to which the fragment belonged, but I cannot admit that any right
of describing it was vested in you as a consequence of that determination ;
still, had I known that you entertained the least wish to describe the fossil,
I would willingly have left it in your hands at the time I first showed it
you. I think you must be in error, when you say that Mr. Charlesworth
now denies his intention of describing the jaw ; because, under the circum-
stances I have mentioned, he had my full permission to do so, and the
illustrations were executed for his own description. I am aware, however,
that Mr. Charlesworth does deny any intention of claiming, as his own,
the original determination of its quadrumanous character, and this impu-
tation I suppose to have originated in some misapprehension.
I remain, my dear Sir,
Your's truly,
SEARLES V, WOOD.
Richd. Owen, Esq.
No. 48.
6, Park Cottages, Regent's Park,
Dec. 7,
My dear Sir,
I beg to thank you for your prompt and obliging answer to
my note of the 5th December, and to request that I may add it to the
correspondence which Mr. Charlesworth seems determined to publish in
his Magazine. I was not aware, until I received your letter, that you had
mistaken me so far as to suppose that I thought your fossil belonged to a
recent species. I alluded, at the time of my first comparison, to the pos-
sibility of such being the case, because we had not, in England, the jaws of
every known existing 3/acact«, wherewith to compareit; and to impress upon
you the necessity of obtaining the most decisive evidence of its disinter-
ment from the Eocene stratum, in which it had been stated to you to be
found. In pointing out to you the resemblance of the fossil to the Maca-
tus radiatus, I wished merely to demonstrate its generic relationship, ad-
verting, at the same time, not only to the difference in size, but in shape.
Permit me to add, in reference to the following passage in a letter
from Mr. Charlesworth to Mr. Lyell, " This new charge implicates Mr.
Wood, for Mr. Charlesworth could not have claimed the determination
of the quadrumanous fragment as his own, without that gentleman con-
niving at, and becoming a party to, the fraud : " that I thoroughly repu-
70 APPENDIX.
diate any sentiment towards you, akin to such as Mr. Charlesworth has
given utterance to, and that
I remain,
My dear Sir,
Faithfully your's,
mCHD. OWEN.
Searles Wood, Esq., &c., &c.
No. 49.
13, Bernard Street,
December llth, 1639.
My dear Sir,
If I rightly understand your request it refers to the
publication of my letter, in which case you are quite at liberty to
make that use of it. Indeed I think for my own sate, as well as Mr.
Chai'lesworth's, full publicity had better be given to all the corres-
pondence that has taken place, unless some other arrangement satisfac-
tory to all parties should be made.
Mr. Charlesworth did not show me or consult me about the letter to
Mr. Lyell, from which you have sent me an extract, but I agree with
him, that the intention imputed to him in your statement of what oc-
cuned at the College of Surgeons, between yourself and Mr. C,
does indirectly implicate me, as Mr. Charlesworth must in that case
have persuaded me to suppress the fact of my having been in the first
instance to you with the fossil, and as I am sure no such intention was
entertained, or even thought of, by either of us. I hope that Mr.
Charlesworth s public explanation will remove any suspicion of dis-
honorable motives having influenced either his own or my conduct in
this matter. •
I remain, my dear Sir,
Yours truly,
SEARLES V. WOOD.
To Richd, Owen, Esq., ^c. ^c.
No. 50.
Park Cottages, Regent's Park,
Dec. 13.
My dear Sir
I beg again to disclaim the imputation of any fraudulent
or dishonourable motives, either to yourself or Mr. Charlesworth, in his
intended description of the quadrumanous fossil belonging to you The
ideas of dishonour and fraud, as connected with that intention, are exclu-
sively Mr. Charlesworth's.
I felt hurt when I became aware of his intention, deeming it un-
friendly, and, as far as I could ascertain the circumstances under which he
had taken upon himself to describe that fossil, uncandid. On one occasion
only have I ever suffered an intimation of the annoyance it occasioned me
to escape my lips. If Mr. Charlesworth was led to suppose that he had
been the first to discover the extinct character of your quadrumanous
APPENDIX. 71
fossil, he may have conceived himself justified, having your pennission, in
publishing as his own, what I again repeat was my discovery.
I remain.
My dear Sir,
Faithfully your's,
RICHD. OWEN.
Searles Wood, Esq.
I now subjoin the following answer from the curator of the
museum of the Zoological Society, to a question proposed to
him by me, and quoted by Mr. Waterhouse, in his letter.
No. 51.
Zoological Society, December 6, 1839.
My dear Sir,
I have hut this moment received your note, and hasten to
answer your question, whether Mr. Charlesworth, in the early part of
August, did not avail himself of my assistance in comparing the fossil
tooth described in the * Magazine of .Natural History ' for September,
1839, with the recent quadrumanous crania in the Society's museum. Mr.
Charlesworth did bring that tooth to the Society for the purpose of com-
parison. Our specimens of skulls being under lock and key, I got them
out for him, and he examined them in my presence. I also examined the
fossil, and compared it with the recent skulls, but I am sure I gave no
opinion to the effect that the fossil formed part of the jaw of a Macacus.
I am, dear Sir,
Faithfully your's
GEO. R. WATERHOUSE.
To an enquiry which I made of Mr. G. B. Sowerby, Jun.,
as to the date when Mr. Charlesworth ordered the wood-cuts
of the quadrumanous fossil, I received the following answer.
No. 52.
Dear Sir,
My only dates respecting the woodcuts Nos. 57 and 58,
p. 444 and p. 447, in the ' Magazine of Natural History,' which were or-
dered by Mr. Charlesworth, are very vague, and refer, not to the time of
the instructions being given, but of the drawings being executed. To the
best of my knowledge, the magnified figures were drawn on or about the
12th of August, having been ordered two or three days before, and the
natural-size figure, the latter end of the same week, or the beginning of
the following.
My dear Sir,
Your's truly,
G. B. SOWERBY, Jun.
R. Owen, Esq.
This is the evidence which leads me to conclude that, had
not my remonstrance on the subject of publishing my own
account of Mr. Wood's fossil been effectual, the wood-cuts
72 APPENDIX.
of it, executed by your instructions, would have illustrated
your description of that fossil instead of mine.
A few words, now, with respect to your article entitled
* On the discovery of a portion of Opossum's jaw,' ( pp. 448
and 450, *Mag. Nat. Hist.,' Sept. 1839). You knew that I
had previously announced to Mr. Lyell, the existence of a
marsupial fossil in the London clay : Mr. Colchester and
Mr. S. Wood were also aware of that fact before you pub-
lished your * Discovery.' Moreover, your own conclusion,
that the jaw which you obtained from Mr. Colchester was
that of an opossum, is at variance with your description of
that fossil; for, if the tooth which you say (p. 450), " appears
to be the one immediately succeeding the true molars," had
been what you supposed it, then the fossil could not have
belonged to the genus Didelphis, for the reasons which I
have assigned in the * Annals of Natural History ' for No-
vember.
I have reason to believe that you were aware of the general
result of my comparison of Mr. Colchester's London-clay fos-
sil molar tooth, submitted to me by Mr. Lyell, in June last,
before you published your own account of the opossum's
jaw from the same formation. It is no justification of your
silence with respect to my previous announcement of a fossil
marsupial in the London clay, that I was induced to alter my
opinion of it some time after the publication of your paper.
I remain. Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
RICHD. OWEN.
Editor Mag. Nat. Hist.
INDEX.
Ai
CER, 217,
Aci<Ba, 217.
Adiantum Capillus- Veneris, occurrence of
in certain parts of Ireland, 19, 20.
Affinities and Analogies of organized
beings, observations upon, 219-226.
Affinity and Analogy, observations upon,
141, 305.
Alyssum calycinum, notice of the occur-
rence of this plant near London, 104.
Amelanchier botryapium, 217.
Anagallis tenella, abundant in the Irish
bogs, 178.
Anoplura, announcement of Mr. Denny's
forthcoming work on these insects, 249.
Anthocephalus elongatus, found in the
liver of the sun fish, 241.
Apes, fossil species of this tribe found in
Brazil, 315.
Aquilegia Canadensis, 217.
Arbutus Unedo, growing in a state of
nature at Cloghereen, near Killarney,
69 ; occurrence in other parts of Ire-
land, 177.
Area duplicata, occurrence of in the Lon-
don clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25; Arc. lactanea, description of,
232. Fig. 3. Suppl. PI. XIII. ; Noa,
observations upon certain specimens
from the Crag, 231. Fig. 2 and 2 a.
Suppl. PI. XIII. ; raridentata, descrip-
tion of, 232. Fig. 4. Suppl. PI. XIIL
Arenaria marina, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 65.
Argonauta, observations and experiments
on, by M. Sander Rang, 8.
Argynnis Aphrodyte, capture of, in War-
wickshire, 131; occurrence of, in Bri-
tain, 306.
Asclepias, 217.
Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, occurrence
of in certain parts of Ireland, 19, 21,
68,75,118, 174, 175, 178; Asp. ma~
rinum, occurrence of in certain parts
of Ireland, 19, 65, 66, 74, 75; Ruta-
murarium, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 19, 21, 68, 75, 118,
174, 178; Trichomanes, occurrence of
in certain parts of Ireland, 19, 21, 68,
75, 118, 174, 175, 178; observations
upon, 243 ; viride, occurrence at Settle,
in Yorkshire, 243.
Vol. IV. No. 44. n, s. 3
Aster Tripolium, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 65.
Asterias glacialis, comparison of this spe-
cies with the Asterias spinosa, 33 ;
Ast. hispida, 34 ; rubens, 33 ; spinosa,
description of, 32.
Astrea, five or six species of, found at
Hauteville, 27 ; their resemblance to
the Astria fVebsteri from Bracklesham
Bay, 27 ; Astr. fVebsteri, discovery of
this new species at Bracklesham Bay,
26 ; Fig. of, 27.
Athyrium Filix-foemina, occurrence in
certain parts of Ireland, 19, 66, 68, 69,
75, 113, 116, 118, 175.
Balcenoptera, supposed new species of,
stranded on Charmouth Beach, 341.
Bartsia viscosa, occurrence of, in certain
parts of Ireland, 113.
Bats, observations upon species of, in
Brazil, 314.
Beechey's Voyage, notice of the appear-
ance of the Zoology of, 145.
Birds, development of, in ovo, 43.
Bombyces, 214.
Bos Caucasica 1, notice of, 83.
Botanical System, remarks upon that of
Perleb, 329.
Botriocephalus microcephalus, found in the
intestines of a sun-fish, 241.
Brazil, account of fossil remains found in,
and observations upon the geology of,
1, 49, 105, 154, 207, 251, 307, 373,
389; temperature of, different in an-
cient periods, 381 ; Osseous brecca in
the caves of, its resemblance to that of
the coasts of the Mediterranean, 384.
Bregmaceros McChllandii, a new genus
of fishes from India, 184.
Bruta, observations upon the names ap-
plied to this group of animals, 108,
109.
Calcaire Grassier, correspondence of, with
the London clay formation at Brackle-
sham Bay, 23.
Callichroma ducalis, description of, 367.
Calosoma sychophanta, notice of the cap-
ture of specimens of, at Brighton,
Ramsgate, and Hastings, 150.
Carahideous Insects, descriptions of some
new species of, 354.
Cardiophthalmiis, observations upon this
418
INDEX.
genus, 359 ; Card, clivinoides, 360 ;
/ongi^arsis, description of, 360. Fig. 2.
Suppl. PI. XIX.; Stephensii, description
of, 361.
Calostomus, description of this new genus
of Lucanites, 364; Cat. squamosus,
description of, 365.
Caypore, tradition relating to this animal,
among the natives of Brazil, 315.
Ceterach officinarium, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 17, 19, 21, 75,
118, 175.
Cerasus Virginianus, 217.
Cerithium Corhula, occurrence of, in the
London clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25 ; Ceri. Cornucopice, occurrence
of, in the London clay formation at
Bracklesham Bay, 25.
Chiton alternatus, description of, 288
CJiit. hastatus, description of, 290. Fig,
4. Suppl. PI. XVI.; atratus, description
of, 294 ; Australis, description of, 290
brevispinosus, description of, 287. Fig,
1. Suppl. PI. XVI. ; dZia^Ms, description
of, 289 ; concinnus, description of, 293
Ci/mblola, description of, 292 ; evanidus
description of, 291 ; fimhriatus, descrip
tion of, 293 ; foveolatus, description of,
290 ; lentiginosus, description of, 293
lyratus, description of, 293 ; patultis.
description of, 291 ; pectinatus, descrip
tion of, 288. Fig. 3. Suppl. Pi. XVI.
petholattts, description of, 289 ; sculp
tus, description of, 292. Fig. 5. Suppl
PI. XVI. ; spiniger, description of, 287
Fig. 2. Suppl. PI. XVI. ; strigatus, de
scription of, 289 ; tenuistriatus, descrip
tion of, 291; versicolor, description of,
292; virgulatus, description of, 291
Watsoni, description of, 288.
Chitons, description of some new species
of, 287.
Chintonia borealis, 217.
Cicindela, remarks on the species of, men-
tioned in Olivier, 169-173; Cic. sex-
guttata, 214; vtdgaris, 214.
Circus cyaneus, observed by Mr. New-
man at Cunnemara, 16.
Claytonia Virginica, 217.
Coleoptera, observations upon certain
North American species of, 275, 276.
Coleopterous insects, descriptions of some
new species of, 362.
Colour, variation of, in wild plants, 325.
CompositcB, 217.
Convallarice, 217.
Conus deperditus, occurrence of in the
London clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25.
Coobiagarranroe, description of the cave
at, 119.
Coptis trifolia, 217.
Corhula gallica ?, occurrence of, in tiie
London clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25.
Crag, fossil shells of the, 230, 294.
Crane-fiy, singular mode of extrication of
the Imago from the Pupa-case, in a
species of, 101.
Crassitella, new species of, found in the
London clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25.
Crinoidea, on a recent species of, 352.
Crocodile, occurrence of the teeth, &c. of,
in the Tilgate Grit at St. Leonard's, 88.
Cryptocephalus bivius, description of, 249 ;
Crypt, larvatus, description of, 250 ;
lautus, description of, 250; limbatus,
description of, 250 ; mammifer, descrip-
tion of, 250 ; geminatus, description
of, 250 ; lixus, description of, 250 ;
luteolus, description of, 250.
Hoopoe, taken at Fishguard, Pembroke,
250.
Cypripedium spectahile, 216.
Cystopteris fragilis, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 19.
Cytherea, new species of, found in the
London clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25 ; Cyth. sulcatarea, occurrence
of, in the London clay formation at
Bracklesham Bay, 25 ; trigonula, oc-
currence of, in the London clay forma-
tion at Bracklesham Bay, 25.
Dasyurus minimus, 299.
Desmodium, 217.
Devonshire, notice of landslip on the coast
of, 138.
Diaphonia, description of this new genus
of Cetonites, 366 ; Diaph. dispar, de-
scription of, 366.
Didelphys penicillatus, 299.
Dicotyles, species of, in Brazil, 105.
Dielytra cuculluria, 217.
Diptera, observations upon North Ameri-
can species of, 277.
Distoma contortum, found on the gills of
a sun-fish, 240.
Distoma nigrqfiavum, found in the intes-
tines of a sun-fish, 240.
Dragon-fly, occurrence of a fossil species
of, in the Lias at Warwickshire, 301.
Eburia j^ir^o described, 196.
Echinites, siliceous casts of, found in the
chalk, 38 ; circumstances attending the
disappearance of the shell from the in-
vesting siliceous matrix, 39 ; proposed
separation of the flint casts into true
and false, 39 ; partial silicification of
the shell itself, 41 ; cavity of the shell
not always perfectly filled, 41 ; distinct
crystals of calcareous spar on the inter-
nal surface of the shell, 41.
Edentata, fossil remains of, in Brazil, 109.
INDEX.
419
Effodientia, fossil remains of, in Brazil, 1 1 0.
Eggs, mode of preparing, for collections,
104.
Elaphrus, remarks on the species of, men-
tioned in Olivier, 169-173.
Encrinites, occurrence of, in the limestone
at Trenton, in the United States, 216.
Entozoa, catalogue of species of, indige-
nous to Ireland, 343.
Equus, notices of some additional species
to those currently admitted by zoolo-
gists, 81, 369, 415; representation of a
species of, in the celebrated Praenestine
mosaic, supposed to be a distinct spe-
cies closely allied to the common horse,
369 ; Equ. Burchellii, observations upon
the, 82 ; hemionus, observations upon,
84 ; QuaggUf observations upon the,
81 ; Zebra, observations upon the, 82.
Erica cinerea, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 73 ; Eri, Mackaiana,
occurrence of in certain parts of Ire-
land, 1 9 ; Mediterranea, occurrence of
in certain parts of Ireland, 115.
Euphorbia Charcharias ?, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 113.
Felis concolor, 106.
Ferce, fossil remains of, in Brazil, 255.
Ferns, observations on some British spe-
cies, 241.
Flora of the neighbourhood of Ipswich,
124-130.
Flora of central Norfolk, an account of
the, 390-407.
Fossil Plants, catalogue of those found in
Great Britain, 75, 179.
Fossil Fruits and Seeds of the London
Clay, History of, by J. S. Bowerbank,
413.
Fusus longcevus, occurrence of, in the
London clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25.
Geometridce, make their appearance in the
woods of North America as soon as the
young leaves burst forth, 214.
Gillaroo Trout, difference between this
and the common trout, 116.
Glossophaga, occurrence of, in certain
caves in Brazil, 53.
Goose : on the skeleton of the tame goose,
Chinese goose, and the hybrid between
the two, 91.
Hemiptera, 277.
Hepatica, 217.
Hispa higeneris, description of, 367.
Hippotiger, of Dion, referred by M. Ser-
res to the zebra, 370.
Holopus Rangii, description of, 352.
Suppl. PI. XVII.
Hydnocera, observations upon this genus
of Clerites, 362 ; Hyd. cegra, descrip-
tion of, 364; curtipennis, description
of, 364 ; humeralis, description of, 362 ;
rufipes, description of, 363 ; serrata,
description of, 363.
Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, occurrence
of in certain parts of Ireland, 19, 74,
75, 112; Hymen. Wilsoni, occurrence
of in certain parts of Ireland, 19, 74,
75, 112.
Hymenoptera, observations upon certain
North American species of, 277.
Hypericum calycinum, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 69.
Iguanodon, occurrence of the teeth of, in
the Tilgate Grit at St. Leonard's, 89.
Ipswich, Flora of, 124-130, 317.
Isabelline Zebra, observations upon, 85.
Isoetes lacustris, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 178.
Jersey, Plants of, 226-230.
Landslip, notice of, on the Devonshire
coast, 138.
Lastrcea dilatata, var. dumentorium, oc-
currence of in certain parts of Ireland,
19, 67, 68 ; Lastr. dilatata, occurrence
of in certain parts of Ireland, 19, C^G,
67, 70, 75, 113, 116, 118, 175, 178;
Lastr. Filix-mas, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 19, Q6, 68, 75,
113, 118, 175, 178; Oreopfem, occur-
rence of in certain parts of Ireland, 19,
20, 75, 178 ; rigida, observations upon,
242 ; Thelypteris, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 75.
Lepidoptera, remarks on those of North
America, 213, 268.
Little Bustard, shot in Devonshire, 47.
Litorella lacustris, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 178.
Lobelia, 217.
Lobelia Dortmanna, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 178.
Lomaria spicant, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 19, 21, Q6, 68, 75,
118, 175, 178.
London-clay fossils, mode of procuring,
&c., 205.
London clay, ont his formation at Brackles-
ham Bay, 23.
Lonicera, 217.
Malaxis paludosa, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 178.
Mallodon spinosum, described, 194.
Mammalia, announcement of the publica-
tion of a new work on, 45.
Mammalian Remains, their occurrence in
the lower Eocene deposits of Epernay,
Marne, 187 ; notice of their occurrence
in a fluvio-marine deposit in the parish
of Little Clacton, on the Essex coast,
197.
Mammals, relative proportion of fossil and
recent species of, in Brazil, 374.
420
INDEX.
Marsupials, fossil species of, found in
Brazil, 313.
Megaderus corallifer, described, 195.
Megalosaurus, occurrence of the teeth of,
in the Tilgate Grit of Battle and St.
Leonard's, 90.
Mentha rotundifolia, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 178.
Meteorolite, fall of, at the Cape of Good
Hope, 201.
Microscope, Mr. Jackson's mode of mount-
ing the compound microscope, 151.
Microscopical Society, establishment of,
45, 48.
Microscopical Society of London, meetings
of, 151,152.
Molossus, occurrence of in certain caves
in Brazil, 53.
Monkeys, notices of such species as are
found in the Chinese writings, 35.
Narthecium ossifragttm, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 178.
Natural History, information for col-
lectors in, 103.
Nirceas, characters of the genus, 194.
Noctuida, 214.
Norfolk (central), flora of, 390-407.
North America, remarks on the Lepi-
doptera of, 213.
Nucula CohholdicB, observations upon,
295 ; Nuc. laevigata, observations upon,
296 ; minuta, description of, 298. Fig.
6. Suppl. PI. XIV.; nucleus, observa-
tions upon, 294. Fig. 1. Suppl. PI.
XIV. ; oblonga, observations upon, 296 ;
ohlongo'ides, description of, 297. Fig. 4.
Suppl. PI. XIV. ; pygmeea, description
of, 298. Fig. 7. Suppl. PI. XIV. ; se-
mistriata, description of, 297. Fig. 5.
Suppl. PI. XIV. ; tenera, description of,
295. Fig. 2. Suppl. PI. XIV. ; trigo-
nula, description of, 295. Fig. 3. Suppl.
PI. XIV.
Nummularia laevigata, found in large
masses, cemented together on the sands
in the vicinity of the London-clay beds
at Bracklesham Bay, 24.
Oaks, deficiency of in certain parts of the
United States, 216.
Octopus, mode of crawling of, &c., 57.
Odontoscelis Curtisii, description of, 358 ;
Odont. Desmarestii, 356 ; Darwinii, de-
scription of, 356. Fig. 1. Suppl. PI.
XIX.; cyaneus, 356; striatus, descrip-
tion of, 358 ; substriatus, description
of, 359; Tent yrioides, 356.
Ommidion modestum, described, 196.
Onoclea sensibilis, 216.
Orthoceritites, occurrence of in the lime-
stone at Trenton in theUnited States,2 1 6.
Orthogoriscus mola, description of a speci-
men of, caught off the Irish coast, 235.
Orthoptera, observations upon certain
North American species of, 276.
Orthosoma ajlindricum, 214.
Osmunda regalis, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 19, 20, 66, 67, 68, 72,
75, 116, 118, 175, 176, 178.
Pachydermata, fossil remains of, in Brazil,
253.
Paramoudras, or pot-stones, notices of the
existence of a distinct tube within them,
303.
Parietaria, on the round tower of Glen-
dalough, Ireland, 178.
Parietaria officinalis, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 19.
Pectunculus pilosus, observations upon,
233. Fig. 7. Suppl. PI. XIII. ; Pect.
pygmceus, observations upon, 234. Fig. 5.
Suppl. PI. XIII.; subobliquus, descrip-
tion of, 233. Fig. 6. Suppl. PI. XIII.
Pheedinus mcestus, described, 195.
Phascogale flavipes, 300 ; Phas. murina,
300 ; Swainsonii, description of, 300.
PhilochlcBnia elongata, 214.
Phyllostoma, occurrence of in certaiti
caves in Brazil, 53.
Phytosaurus cylindricodon, occurrence of
the teeth of, in the Tilgate Grit of
Battle and St. Leonard's, 90.
Pinguicula grandiflora, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 72, 113; Ping.
Lusitanica, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 178.
Pinus Canadensis, 216.
Plants, Fossil, catalogue of the species
found in Great Britain, 75 ; Plants, Mr.
Quekett on the development of the
vascular tissue of, 152; observations
upon North American species of, 271-
273 ; variation of colour in wild species,
325 ; new method of drying specimens
of, 414.
Platanus occidentalis, 217.
Pleurodon ovalis, description of, 230. Fig.
1. Suppl. PI. XIII.
Polytichum aculeatum, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 19, 67, 68, 75,
113, 118, 175, 176, 178; Pol. Lon-
chiles, occurrence at Settle in York-
shire, 243.
Polypodium Dryopteris, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 19, 20, 75;
Polyp. Phegopteris, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 19, 75 ; vul-
gare, occurrence of in certain parts of
Ireland, 19, 21, 69, 75, 115, 118, 174,
175, 178.
Prickly Star-fish, description of, 32.
Protococcus, or Palmella nivalis, of the
Alps, 29 ; found exclusively on iheFirn,
beginning at the Flrn line and ending
about 1000 feet above it, 30.
INDEX.
421
Pteris aquilina, occurrence in certain
parts of Ireland, 19, 66, 68, 75, 118,
175, 178; notes upon, 242.
Quadrumana, 106.
Quercus sempervirens, 177.
Rachidion obesum, described, 195.
Redunca fulvo-rufula, observations upon,
85 ; Red. isahellina, observations upon,
85.
Reptiles, remarks on the teeth of, from
the Tilgate Grit of Battle and St. Leo-
nard's, 87.
Rhus typhina, 217 ; Rh. glabra, 217.
Rodents, fossil species of, found in Brazil,
54, 307.
Rubus, 217.
Rubus odoratus, 217.
Ruminantia, fossil remains of, in Brazil,
251.
Ruminants, s^Qcies of, in Brazil, 105.
Salmon, observations on the young of, 161.
Sambucus rubens, 217.
Sanguinolaria Hollowaysii, occurrence of,
in the London clay formation at Brackle-
sham Bay, 25.
Scolopendrium vulgare, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 19, 21, 67, 69,
75, 118, 175, 178.
Sedum Anglicum, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 177.
Shells, fossil species of the crag, 230, 294.
Sibthorpia Europaa, occurrence of in cer-
tain parts of Ireland, 67.
Silene maritima, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 65.
Silphomorpha, observations upon this
genus, 365.
Silphomorpha maculcta, description of, 365.
Simiee, fossil species of this tribe found in
Brazil, 315.
Siphonia fusiformis, a new species found
in the Yorkshire chalk, 46.
Sloths, fossil remains of, in Brazil, 156.
Solidungula, two species of, represented
on the mosaic of Palestrina, 369.
Sorex fodiens, habits of, 149.
Sponge, action of light upon the river
species {Spongilla fluviatilis), 259.
Spontaneous generation, remarks upon,
280, 339.
Sterna, and Larus, habits of the different
species of, 47.
Streptopus roseus, 217.
Struthiopteris Pennsylvanica, 216.
Tapoa Tafa, is the Phasgocale penicillata,
299.
Tardigrada, fossil remains of this group
in Brazil, 156.
Taxus Canadensis, 216.
Teeth, Mr. Owen's observations on the
application of microscopic examinations
of the structure of, to the determination
of fossil remains, 151.
Telephori, notes on, 133.
Telephorus ater, notes on, 133, 135 ; Telep.
flavilabris, notes on, 133, 135.
Testudo Caretta, occurrence of, on the
coast of Devonshire, 136.
Tetrax campestris, occurrence of, in De-
vonshire, 47.
Thuja occidentalis, 216.
Tiarella cordifolia, 217.
Tilia Americana, 217.
Toad, habits of, its change of skin, &c.,
103.
Turritella conoidea, occurrence of, in the
London clay formation at Bracklesham
Bay, 25 ; Turrit, edita, occurrence of,
in the London clay formation at Brackle-
sham Bay, 25.
Trichomanes speciosum, occurrence of in
certain parts of Ireland, 68, 74, 75.
Trillia, 217.
Trilobites, occurrence of, in the limestone
at Trenton in the United States, 216.
Uvulari(B,2\1,
Vanessa urticcB, notice of a curious variety
of, 368.
Vegetable Physiology, Progress of, by
Prof. Meyen, 408.
Venericardia acuticostata, occurrence of, in
the London clay formation at Brackle-
sham Bay, 25 ; Vener. mitis, occurrence
of, in the London clay formation at
Bracklesham Bay, 25 ; planicosta, oc-
currence of, in the London clay forma-
tion at Bracklesham Bay, 24, 25.
Vespertilio, occurrence of, in certain caves
in Brazil, 53.
Viburnum, 217.
Vicia cracca, occurrence of in certain
parts of Ireland, 17.
Violee, 217.
Water-Shrew, habits of, 149.
Wellington Valley, New Holland, caves
of, the resemblance of the soil which
fills these caves and those of Brazil, 385.
White zebra, observations upon, 85.
i^ND OF THE FOURTH VOLUME,
ERRATA.
Page 25, line 2, for Hollowasii, read Hollowaysii.
— 25, — 19, for Conus deperdiius, read, Conus diversiformes.
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